Of Metal, Bone, and Claws
by Veriseple
Summary: What if Taylor didn't have Queen Administrator for her Passenger? What if she wasn't the first Parahuman in her family? What if the world of Earth-Bet was quite a bit different in some ways? For all this and more, please enter within.
1. Proluge: PHO

_AN: At a reader's request I am finally cross-posting this from SB. Up until I've put this off mainly because I knew I was going to have issues with the formatting for this PHO Proluge. However given how many changes this AU has I couldn't just bump it to a later date as it is too important to laying out early changes. _

_Original AN: OMBC is a bit of a story concept of mine featuring an AU take on Worm. There will be numerous alterations, some of which will have Butterfly Effects with widespread repercussions throughout the story and even the world. In this AU rather than having QA for her shard, Taylor not only has a different shard that I am heavily borrowing inspiration and function from Wolverine/X-23 from X-Men. However this is not an actual crossover. Taylor is a Parahuman, not a Mutant._

_Please note that while Taylor is the core focus around which the story revolves, however she is not the primary viewpoint which shifts from person to person periodically. Also the story features Taylor at its core but she is not the only point of focus and may actually have very little screen time depending on where in the story you are. Regardless everything being told does, or will eventually relate to her._

_Anyways without further ado..._

* * *

**Welcome to the Parahumans Online Message Boards**

You are currently logged in, Vista (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)

You are viewing:

• Threads you have replied to

• AND Threads that have new replies

• OR private message conversations with new replies

• Thread OP is displayed

• Ten posts per page

• Last ten messages in private message history

• Threads and private messages are ordered by user custom preference.

You have no infractions.

**Topic: New Marche Cape?**

**In: Boards ► Places ► Brockton Bay ► General Discussion**

**White Fairy** (Original Poster) (Veteran Member)  
Posted on August 3, 2009:

Now I know this being the Bay, new capes are bound to turn up all the time. However I saw someone who MAY have been a cape with some Marche muscle on the Boardwalk last night. I was closing up for the night at work and while I was locking up and walking to my car I saw some of the Marquis's people. Not really a surprise since I work on the Boardwalk and everyone knows that even the daytime guards all answer to Marquis, or at least they work for someone who does.

Anyways so I saw someone new. No idea who she was, but she's just walking down the street. Alone, wearing a full face mask. Her hair was free, this mask is just covering her full face. The thing is black with a white skull on the front.

As for the rest of her outfit I have to say she wasn't hiding much. She was tall but slim, I'd say probably college or high school aged. Toned like an athlete and I could tell she was showing more skin than most Capes usually do. I mean she was covered up fairly well, nothing was risque or anything.

Boots, looked like combat or something like it, black pants, black tee shirt, and finger-less gloves that extended all the way up to just before her elbow, all black. Heck if it wasn't for the mask I wouldn't think she's a cape at all given how average it looked.

Normally Capes avoid Marquis' territory and with good reason, but this one is just walking down like she belongs there. And some of the night shift Boardwalk security guards and didn't move to stop her or anything. Given that those guys work for the Marquis, or atleast someone who answers to him, I find that kinda suspicious.

Anyone know anything about this girl?

**(Showing Page 5 of 6)**

**► FlippinMad  
**Replied on August 5, 2009:

Oooh a hot new chick cape? Sure I'll bite. No idea who she is though.

**► GstringGirl  
**Replied on August 5, 2009:

OP is right. Marquis usually runs a real tight ship from everything I know. He's just letting someone walk around? This is strange.

**► XxVoid_CowboyxX  
**Replied on August 5, 2009:

Holy shit I just saw this chick myself! She's kinda hot! Like in a predator kinda way. The way she's moving is kinda scary, like she's just ready for a fight.

**► And_My_Axe  
**Replied on August 5, 2009:

Void if you're close enough to a cape that they can see you back, you are even dumber than normal. You have no idea if they are dangerous or not.

**► XxVoid_CowboyxX  
**Replied on August 5, 2009:

Link: Here's a pic!

**► GstringGirl  
**Replied on August 5, 2009:

Void you are a very brave or very foolish man. She's looking right at you! Even if you are HOPEFULLY zoomed in by a lot to take the picture. Still I see what the OP was saying. If you take away that face mask, that could be an entirely ordinary outfit anyone would wear... well not anyone but not that strange either.

**► Reave** (Verified PRT Agent)  
Replied on August 5, 2009:

Void, congratulations on being helpful to a thread for a change!

In response to the picture I am able to confirm that this is a Cape. While we don't have any interactions on file or even a name, there is surveillance footage showing her in New Orleans when Leviathan attacked in 2008.

Nothing is known about her, and the only record we even have of her is three seconds where she was on Armsmaster's helmet camera footage. She appeared to be attempting to attack Leviathan in that time before being hit by the Endbringer and removed from the camera footage.

Nothing is currently known about her. We did not even know if she survived up until now though no body matching her was ever found. Since she did survive we are tentatively giving her a Brute rating.

Again nothing is known about this Cape. Civilians are encouraged to not make contact and stay a safe distance from her. Please do not engage her.

**► XxVoid_CowboyxX** (Temp-banned)  
Replied on August 5, 2009:

**DELETED**

_User has received a temporary ban for this post: These forums have strict language use guidelines. Please stick to them.. - Tin_Mother_

**► And_My_Axe  
**Replied on August 5, 2009:

Void what the heck man?!

**► Bagrat** (The Guy In The Know) (Veteran Member)  
Replied on August 5, 2009:

Lets just all agree that anyone who can survive a hit from Leviathan is not someone to casually dismiss. Please be safe and don't provoke the strange cape we know nothing about.

**End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6**

**Topic: Hookwolf Dogfight Ring Busted/Where is Cricket?**

**In: Boards ► Places ► Brockton Bay ► Gangs ► E88**

**Bagrat** (Original Poster) (The Guy In The Know) (Veteran Member)  
Posted on August 3, 2009:

Two nights ago BBPD responded to a 911 Call. The location led them to an illegal dog fighting ring. PRT and Protectorate forces responded when Hookwolf was sighted.

Several members of BBPD are still in the hospital in critical condition at this time.

The reason I post this is that this is the third incident in the last month that Cricket has not been sighted with Hookwolf. Normally those two are always together. Does anyone have any idea where Cricket is?

**(Showing Page 2 of 2)**

**► White Fairy** (Veteran Member)  
Replied on August 5, 2009:

I don't have any idea but this isn't the first disappearance the E88 has had. Purity, Night and Fog, haven't been seen for several months now. And Rune hasn't been reported in sightings since the start of Summer. Now Cricket.

Is the E88 trying something new? Or are we getting lucky and everyone in there is realizing that Racism is actually bad?!

**► GeorgeOfTheCity  
**Replied on August 5, 2009:

While that would be awesome I don't see it likely. All Father ran a tight ship and Kaiser has been doing the same ever since.

**► XxVoid_CowboyxX  
**Replied on August 5, 2009:

If only we were this lucky. I'm calling it now, this is a Simurgh Plot.

**► White Fairy** (Veteran Member)  
Replied on August 5, 2009:

More like the E88 is planning something new.

**End of Page. 1, 2**

**Topic: Wards ENE Roster New Member: Glory Girl**

**In: Boards ► Groups ► Protectorate ► Wards ENE**

**Bagrat** (Original Poster) (The Guy In The Know) (Veteran Member)  
Posted on July 29, 2009:

This thread is for discussion of the newest Ward in Brockton Bay. Glory Girl was just revealed in a press conference at the PRT building. So far from what little she revealed she is an Alexandria Package Brute.

Please keep the discussion focused on Glory. Discussion of the Wards ENE should be in the Wards ENE thread.

**(Showing Page 34 of 34)**

**► Vista** (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)  
Replied on August 5, 2009:

I'm really happy to have a new team mate. Glory Girl is going to be a great addition to the Wards here in the Bay.

**► Bagrat** (Original Poster) (The Guy In The Know) (Veteran Member)  
Replied on August 5, 2009:

Glory Girl would you like to tell us anything about yourself? I won't ask about your powers since you are an Alexandria Package.

**► Glory Girl** (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)  
Replied on August 5, 2009:

Everyone thank you for such a warm welcome to the Wards. I'm very happy to be working with all my fellow Heroes. Anyways a bit about myself... I can tell you that I a second-gen Cape. My parents were members of the Brockton Bay Brigade. And while I have no intentions of dying. I do intend to stand up and give my everything to defend this city just like they did.

**► Really_A_Dragon  
**Replied on August 5, 2009:

Oh wow... your parents were in the Brigade? I'm so sorry for your loss. I know it was over a decade ago now that they were killed but I'm sorry to hear that.

**► OldManStan  
**Replied on August 5, 2009:

While your family were certainly heroes, and their sacrifice is worth of being honored. Lets not forget that the reason they died in the first place was because they broke the Unwritten Rules. If they hadn't pushed him, Marquis wouldn't have killed them.

**► ChooChoo  
**Replied on August 5, 2009:

Hey what the heck Stan! Her parents were heroes, and besides. If the Heroes would stop wearing kids gloves with the Villains in the Bay, maybe this city wouldn't be the way it is! The Brigade may have failed and died for it, but they had the right idea! Gloary Girl I hope you remember what your parents stood for and never forget it!

**End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 32, 33, 34**


	2. Chapter 1-1: Sophia Hess

I was jogging down the street. Most kids would take the bus to get to school in Brockton Bay. I could have been too, I had the option. But I wasn't going to be the city's most effective Vigilante if I was riding the bus twice a day going soft! So I was making the jog to school every day as a way of staying in shape and improving my stamina. Once winter rolled around I'd start taking the bus, but it was the first day of school, no way was I going to let herself turn from a lean predator into fat prey. Two miles passed quickly as I jogged down sidewalks on the way to Winslow. The journey was uneventful, something I'd taken before as a way to make sure I had a good route that was likely to take me through any trouble areas. Daytime or not, Marquis' peace or not, there were always idiots out there like the Merchant scum that didn't have enough brain cells to think about what grabbing a kid would mean to their rapidly dwindling future and life opportunities.

It was inevitable though that I would finally get to the school after rounding a corner around an almost reputable looking drug store a block away. Immediately I could see the numerous iconic yellow buses were lined up at the front to offload their passengers while other students were walking or getting rides from family. Already the crowds were pouring in and I could hear laughter echoing on the air as I weaved through slower moving kids my age that were taking the snail paced walk to the building. Even with the building in sight I wasn't about to just stop and rest, no I would finish this all the way.

I made my way up to the front steps to the entrance of what had once, decades before, been a model school. Now as a familiar redheaded girl spotted me and approached waving, I ignored her for the moment instead eyeing the gang tags. There weren't many. Despite the crap school with a budget that would make a deadbeat gambler who'd lost his life savings on the ponies, stop and laugh, I could see the gang tags, all of them freshly painted. Clearly someone, somewhere, had gotten the bright idea that displaying a tag would remind everyone of who was present in the school in membership even if it was the Junior league boyscout versions of the major gangs. I could see the E88 and the ABB tags easily enough. Hell I even spotted a lone Merchants tag, or atleast it might have been a Merchant's tag, it also might have been a bit of mold growing on the brick, which was basically the same thing either way. The Marche wasn't present in the list of tags but that didn't really surprise me. The Marche weren't the hard criminals and killers that the other gangs were. Marquis himself of course had a substantial confirmed body count, and the rumors always whispered of far more, but the rest were all just normal un-powered adults clinging to the skirt of a Cape with a fearsome reputation, and holding their hands out for whatever breadcrumbs he felt like giving them.

The E88 might be a bunch of racist fucks that were all better off dead, and the ABB the same except a bunch of Asians, but they at least weren't a bunch of white collar criminals calling themselves a street gang. As for the Merchants they may be scum, but they were scrappy scum. If it wasn't for Marquis' rep, the whole of the Marche would have collapsed years ago. But of course the villain had earned his rep when he'd killed all the Brigade years ago when they broke the Unwritten Rules to ambush him. The Brigade had the right idea, fuck the criminals. If they wanted to do that, they didn't deserve to have the protection of their civilian identities when they weren't committing crimes at night.

I was forced out of my ruminations as Emma Barnes approached. Despite my best efforts I couldn't resist the urge to glare in annoyance. The girl may have proven she was a fighter, a predator when those ABB fucks had cornered her, but that didn't mean that I liked the clingy behavior the girl had been forcing on me ever since that night.

"Hey Sophia." Emma said, oblivious to the thoughts going through my head of course. "I just wanted to invite you to my place on Saturday afternoon." What again? How many times was this now?! I was seriously starting to regret ever saving the girl and her father if this was what I was going to have to put up with every single Scion damned day. Emma of course continued to talk oblivious to her increasingly regretful rescuer's thoughts. " My dad's making me attend a cook out. His biggest client's divorce just finalized and my Dad invited him and a bunch of friends over for the afternoon. I think he might be trying to set me up with the guy's son, and I really wish you'd be there to help run interference. I met the boy once and he's sooo not my type."

I savored the sour thought 'And what is your type? Tattooed Asians with knives?' But thoughts aside I wasn't about to throw away a useful tool in Emma, and her father. The man was a lawyer, and even if he did divorces, not Cape Law, I wasn't stupid enough to ruin a relationship that might pay dividends down the road just because of spite and an annoying brat.

So I turned and grudgingly nodded. At least the man was a decent cook so the day wouldn't be a total waste, and my mom would be Sooo Happy that she was hanging around with 'that nice upstanding white girl'. "Yeah sure I'll come over. I'm going to need a lift. Jogging to school is one thing, but I'm not about to jog halfway across the city just so you can avoid some boy."

Emma nodded in understanding. "I'll tell my Dad and either he or my Mom can come get you. Dad already invited you so you're good to come." Of course the man did. The warning bell rang and I swore. I didn't give two flying shits about Winslow or school but if I got detentions my mom would flip, which I didn't care about. Plus time in detention was time I wasn't out being a mother freaking hunter/predator, and that was something that I very much did care about thank you very much. And so we made our way into the school and our waiting lockers, put away coats and backpacks, and headed to our homeroom. Somehow and I'm not sure really how it was managed, but our homeroom had been changed a week ago so that we now were together. Officially it was because of a late hiring change in the form of a new english teacher but I didn't buy it for a second. More likely Emma had gotten dear daddy to pull a favor.

We made it into our seats with just seconds to spare. All it took was a glance around the room at all my fellow freshman students as I kicked my feet out under the desk in front of mine's chair and I was already hating this. A glance at Emma who was sitting two seats to the side on the other side of some skinny girl I'd never seen before caught and I caught her eye or at least I tried to. Emma was staring at the teacher's name written on the blackboard.

Then the bell rang and the woman who was our English and Homeroom teacher walked to the door and pushed it shut. She was in her late thirties maybe. Tall, looked like she was in pretty good shape actually beneath the actual suit she wore. Given that outfit, if the woman's hair had been cut short, I would have sworn she was a dyke, but instead the teacher's hair was long, black and had wavy curls. She walked to stand in front of her desk and leaned back slightly against it.

"Good morning class. I'm Annette Hebert and I will be your English and Homeroom teacher. You may address me as Mrs. Hebert." Out of the corner of my eye she could see Emma shift. Past the bored looking skinny girl, Emma had a look of confused surprise on her face. I tried catching her eye again, but rather than risking getting on the bad side of a teacher that looked like she was formal as all hell, she just focused back on the still talking woman, leaving me to turn back to the front and focus on the teach too.

"I am new to Winslow as a teacher but I have several years of teaching in Houston. For those of you, who think that you are all hot shit, please feel free to leave such opinions in your lockers. I have stared down Capes, none of you can compare. Now please pull out your English Textbook, your notebook, and a pen. I expect you all to have each ready at the start of class. I also have a few things to hand out including this year's syllabus and we'll go over what we'll be covering in class this semester."

Okay pausing here for a moment? Points for the intro. It was bullshit of course, a civilian like her making those claims, but if I wasn't a cape myself, if I didn't know better, I'd actually take her more seriously with that little intro. But it was all business after that and we hit the ground running fast.

By the time the class period was over I was forced to conclude it was better than some classes I have had in the past. Hebert may have been full of shit about staring down Capes, but the woman was an efficient and effective teacher. English, a class which I had never cared for, was organized and structured as the teach went over her expectations and how she would be graded. Given that I was planning on joining Cross Country and Track to styay in shape, and of course those required that I needed to maintain an academic standard, I did actually pay attention. By the end of class the no nonsense teacher had grudgingly earned a little of my respect for clearly knowing her subject, and taking her job seriously.

In the hallway after class as they made their way to the next class though I stopped and cornered Emma. "So? What gives? I can tell you knew her." Emma bit her lip for a moment. "I knew her, or I think I did. If she's who I think she is, she's married to my Dad's best friend from when he was a kid. Only I didn't know she was back in Brockton Bay. When I was maybe four or five she and her daughter just left in the middle of the night, no warning no nothing. I mean something had to have happened to just up and bailed but Dad wouldn't have stayed friends with Mr. Hebert if he'd been beating her, but its really weird. I mean Mr. Hebert is a little old fashioned. He doesn't own a cellphone for Christ's sake! But the two never get divorced. My dad would know obviously. But she never comes back. And now she's back... It's just weird."

I had no idea what to make of the story I'd just been given. This was all assuming this was the same woman in the first place of course. Weird Shit, and I had my own suspicions that Emma's dad, the weakling that he was, just didn't want to see the ugly truth. But I didn't actually care. This wasn't my business and it didn't interest me. "Look, whatever. Forget her, that was a long time ago right?" Emma hesitantly nodded. "I wonder if Taylor is back too..." She quietly muttered. I instantly sighed wishing that the subject was dropped. "Who?" Emma looked at me. "Taylor, her daughter. We used to have sleepovers all the time when we were really young before they left. Hell I called Mrs. Hebert, Auntie Annette!"

I just threw her head back, looking up at the ceiling in exasperation. Where was an E88/ABB brawl when you needed one? "Look just forget about it. Lets get to class. I've got Cross Country practice after school and I don't want to give the coach any reason to drop my ass because some teacher with a stick up their ass gave me a detention for being three seconds late on the first day." Emma nodded and followed in my wake. For all that I hated the clinginess of the girl, at least she recognized who was the superior in our relationship, who was the predator. And for the rest of the day she and Emma didn't talk about a teacher that she might or might not have previously known.

After school I got changed into my athletic outfit and headed out to the track for practice. Emma had already said goodbye as she left when her folks picked her up, I'd bothered to wave even as I headed for the sports fields. Already the field was filled with hundreds of kids. Spotting the cross country runners I walked up to the gathered group of students, most of them looking like they weren't worth my time even for just a glance. So I instead focused on the coach. There was one late arrival but the first meet wasn't for three weeks so everything was good for the new member. I didn't care. I also didn't like that the new girl hadn't even bothered to attend the summer practice sessions like all the rest of us all had. But, whatever, the crybaby would no doubt vanish to never be seen again after the first day.

Everyone got grouped up for the warm up two mile run. Smirking ready to see all the weaklings eat my dust I took off like a gunshot as soon as the coach blew his whistle. I pushed to the front of the pack instantly, unwilling to let the predator in me be led by sheep. Within thirty seconds I'd outstripped them all and with that I was off. Blood pounded in my ear, my breath coming in through the nose, out through the mouth, my form good, never dragging my feet, picking them up as I pushed herself. The sheep may have thought this was just a warm up run. But they were fools and I knew better. Like all of life, this was a test. And I would show everyone why I was the best without match.

That thought went full speed right into a hard brick wall when thirty seconds later I realized someone was actually keeping up with me! Rather than let that slide I just kicked it up a gear and started running faster. Only the runner at my side kept the pace! I glanced to my side. It was the new girl! What the fucking hell? If the coaches weren't watching I would totally just shoulder check the girl. Instead though I just kicked up another gear, really pushing myself in a dead out run now. Let the girl try and keep up with this! This would prove who the predator was and who the sheep was!

Ten seconds became thirty seconds. Thirty Seconds became one minute and then two. I was at my limit and my body was screaming at me in protest. How the hell was this girl keeping pace with her?! This was such bullshit! This newbie who up and joins on a lark is just doing this? It had to be drugs. No way no how was this real. The girl was a Merchant customer and was on some kind of stimulant. A glance behind showed some stragglers a ways back, nowhere near close of course, but close enough, as they ran around the school's outer fence for their warm-up, that someone would see her if I showed the girl her proper place.

Forced to finally slow down as my body's screaming finally became something I couldn't ignore anymore I dropped down into a fast jog. Instantly the girl slowed to keep pace. Oh I definitely was going to make this girl pay. It went without saying that I did not appreciate being made a fool of. When our warm-up run finished the head coach congratulated both of us for being such excellent runners and said that it would be good if we partnered up to run every practice so that they each had someone to compete against and use to push their own limits. I just screamed inside my head. Fuck this bullshit! Somehow, some way. This girl was going to pay!


	3. Chapter 1-2: Sophia Hess

Original SB's AN: I've been writing, and re-writing, and as I progress I've realized I'm more comfortable writing this in first person. Guess the story an the viewpoint is coming to me a bit easier. I'll be going back to the previous bit and editing for the same viewpoint. Also please do not expect this fast every day post schedule to hold. I won't be having an installment and once the holidays arrive I'll be down to a crawl. Anyways here is the next installment...

* * *

The coach broke us up into groups by our ability. Despite the fact the cheater was obvious, the coach can't see it. We're both freshman. Its like hunting a criminal at night. The cops won't do anything without evidence of a crime. So I watch her. And I do. And lone behold! We're in the middle of calisthenics, stretching before we get back to running and she just starts talking. "You and I know that we'll both be better off if we have someone to run against with." That too wide mouth curled into a smirk. "I saw you trying to pass me by earlier." Damn this girl! But... If I was with her. I would be able to find the evidence to present to the coach. Get her off the team and out of my life. And in the meantime the druggie could give me someone to actually test myself against... And who knew maybe her artificially enhanced body would actually continue to give me a challenge and test to push myself further, at least until I got rid of her. Use her and then when ready, drop her.

Firm in my plan I nodded. "What's your name anyways? If I'm going to have to spend time with you, at least tell me your name." The girl crossed her arms and shifted her weight onto her back foot, a supremely confident stance, god I wanted to smash that smug grin off her face right along with her teeth. "You first. You were the one eating my dust at the end after all." Sophia could feel a vein in her forehead throbbing like in the anime that the Asians and the nerds watched imported from Aleph. 'This bitch... No HELL NO! I'm not letting her win like this.' I match her grin for grin. "Tell you what. We race, no practice, just pure speed after practice. Loser tells there name first." There let the druggy bitch win that! Practice would be two hours long. Chances were whatever stim or Tinkertech she had pumped into her body would be out of her system by then."

The coach was one of those guys that was horrible with names. He knew some of the upperclassmen, but us freshman, he just pointed at us and said, "You". But as my offer hangs in the air for a second, she just gets this knowing look, like there's some joke she's aware of that I don't know. "Sure." Well shit... The bitch steps up to the plate. Granted it just means the fall will hurt more when she looses to me, but credit, she doesn't back down. The shrill of a whistle breaks my thoughts and I'm dragged back to the practice. A second short burst and we're running again.

Ten miles go by. The school isn't big enough for a run like this. The property perimeter is fine for a warm up but its too small for a real run, and we can't use the track, too flat. So we run in the city. From what I pick up in conversation as we run. I'm at the head of the pack of course, and tall and skinny is right next to me. Behind us I can hear a couple of the sheep bleating about the threat of the gangs. We're headed towards Marche territory and BBPD is apparently aware when and where we'll be running. That second bit gets told to us by the coach, who's riding on a bike to keep up, wuss. I stay in the lead the whole time. The coach keeps us together. So we can 'learn the route' but says in the future we'll be able to go faster as long as we're in pairs or larger groups. I glance to the side at the bitch beside me. Looks like her offer might actually have an upside. Go figure.

We run at the front saying nothing. Some of the sheep continue to chatter about nothing behind us. I stay at the head. At the end of ten miles what was a mostly tight pack with us at the lead has been reduced to a lingering trail. Even I'm panting, wheezing a little. I take a small sip of water, not too much or I'll puke, from one of the bottles of water I get from the coach. Beside me black haired and brooding is sipping at the water too, and fuck if I'm forced to admit she looks like she could go again like it was nothing. I mean she's soaked in sweat like the rest of us, but the way she's standing, her breath is winded, not like a pack a day smoker like some of the dweebs behind us. I had figured the drug she's on would be burned out of her body given the run, and then she'd be running on fumes and ready to have her face driven into the dirt.

Instead she looks like she's only done a warm up run. My eyes slide away when Coach starts speaking again. More humdrum passes, he pointed out people who needed improvement, which was pretty much everyone except for us of course. We get times for the practices, date of the first Meet. A few recommendations for what to eat, I pay to it all. Everyone here may be a waste of my time, but health and diet are important, and if I'm going to do this I need to know what I'm doing when. Ten minutes of stretching and we're released and the others all drift away. And holy shit... the coach pulls out a cigarette... what the hell... never mind not important. I turn away from the hypocrite and focus on the giant at my side. Standing there I can't help but eye her height. She's a freshman same as me but she's got half a foot easy on me. Whoever her parents are they must be giants.

The students all make their way towards the school. The locker room is calling with showers. Normally I would make use of them myself but we're about to have our own private race in just a few minutes. I head towards the entrance to the street and frown when she breaks away. I catch her eye and wait for the coward to make up some lame excuse. She spots me and turns around, walking backwards now. "My mom works here. Lemee know she isn't giving me a ride home and I'll be right back." And with that she spins on her foot and is inside. I'm not about to let her get another hit of whatever drug gave her edge so I follow inside. Three minutes later I'm surprised when she walks into Mrs. Hebert's room. This is Emma's old friend Taylor? Well I guess I'll have my answer of if this is the Annette and Taylor that Emma knows or not when I bury her in my dust.

I can hear them talking inside. Taylor tells her mother that she's taking an extra run with a fellow cross-country member and that she'll make her own way home. And I'm expecting to hear fussing, demanded promises to be safe. Instead Mrs. Hebert just says. "Alright. Your Dad's busy at the office so we'll be having leftovers tonight. Don't forget that you and Ada are sparring with Melody after dinner so don't take too long I want you home in time for a good night's sleep after its all done. But you go have your race, I'll call her when I get home, and let her know you will be running late."

Her mom didn't seem concerned with her safety at all. But then if she was taking fighting lessons, maybe it was justified. I'd never stepped into view so Mrs. Hebert had no idea I was there. No reason to lie, too elaborate to be a pre-setup conversation. Maybe the beanpole was actually legit and not some junkie. Still no way was I going to let her win our race. Maybe-Taylor didn't look surprised to see me when she saw me as she came out of the classroom, she didn't say anything either and we made our way back out of the school.

"We're racing for speed here. So lets go some place where we aren't going to have cars on the street stopping us. Come I know just the place."

The girl who I was getting more and more undecided about just nodded and followed me as we head off down the sidewalk. I'm leading the way. As we leave the school I hear the door open and close behind us. A glance back allows me to spot Mrs. Hebert. Before she turns the other way towards the parking lot I swear that those blue eyes of hers are judging me. Facing back to front I shake my head, clearing my thoughts. She was a school teacher, not Alexandria.

There's enough traffic here that I don't want anything ruining the race, giving her any reason she could use to welch. But two blocks over there's a long side road that I know from my patrols, almost never gets any traffic. It's a dead end with only one entrance so the only people who use it are those that live there since it butts right up against the train lines that go straight to and from the docks. We get to the entrance of the street and I touch the stop sign at my side. "Alright here's the start line. See that big tree right before the tracks?" She looks then nods a moment later. "There and back. First one is the winner. No tricks, just speed." Its a long straight street, built after houses on both sides with subdivisions had been built, a thin strip of land that had once just been trees dividing it, but built into housing when the city had been in better times and space and land had been at a premium. Quarter mile there, Quarter mile back. I glance at my watch waiting for it to tick over to the new minute so I can time myself.

I get into the runner's starting position, my eyes still on my watch. Beside me she does the same. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... I loudly shout "Go!" And I'm off, dead out springing as fast as I can go. Nothing held back, no restraint. And no way for her to keep up with me. And I'm right.

She doesn't keep up with me.

The Bitch PASSES me before I'm even two-thirds of the way to the tree!

Right as she's moving beside me I can see that look in her eyes. Her breath is coming in and out evenly, her movements showing and I have to admit, she isn't some junkie. A junkie wouldn't run like they'd been doing it for years. There's all kinds of little mistakes runners make when they are first starting out. How they run, how their arms move, posture, everything. When I first picked up running I did my research to make sure I was doing it right. And like I did, she did too. She hits the tree and her fingers touch it. I'm close enough on her tail to see its a fair tag. And then she's racing back. I hate that smirk curled at the lip of her mouth as her eyes glance at me as she passes me now going the other way.

I tag the tree and sprint back. Even if she's beating me by a good distance now I don't quit. No way am I going to just throw in the towel. All or nothing. I am a predator, and even if I am going watch my prey run away from me, I'm going to make sure that its not because I didn't do everything I could to chase it down.

She's waiting there, just leaning on the stop sign when I get to it, my hand grabbing the metal and I just glare even as I'm taking deep breaths. Like every time I've seen her before, her body is covered in fresh sweat, but her breathing is cool and regular, like she'd just gone for a run, not a dead sprint. I glance at my watch and do the math. My brain freezes when I realize she would have an under four minute mile time. I look up in dawning realization. She just laughs and sticks out her hand. "I'm Taylor Hebert." She says first even though she won our bet. A little shocked and dazed I just grab her hand in my own and shake in a proper greeting. "Sophia Hess." Taylor nods. "Oh I already knew. I just wanted to see how far you would go... Anyways nice to meet you Sophia."


	4. Chapter 1-3: Sophia Hess

I sprinted forward. Pushing off with my lead foot I leaped into the air, before gravity could grab me and drag me back down I switched into my breaker state. Now an intangible I glided upwards through the air, my momentum continuing to carry me onward.

Reaching the edge of the roof of the building that was my target I switched back to normal human corporeality. Dropping into a crouch I ran along the edge of the building and crouched at my vantage point. Looking through the eyeholes of my mask I watched the ABB stash house ahead.

I'd spent close to the last two weeks beating up ABB thugs questioning about everything EXCEPT this one. My intel of this place had instead come from sneaking inside as well as observation. Lung's goons weren't completely dumb. If I had questioned about this place, it might have made it back to the gang lieutenants and they'd either up the guard or just close it down and move on to another location.

The first possibility didn't bother me. I would take out these criminals and leave evidence for the cops to seize no matter if there were half a dozen or three goons down below. The way I intended to go at them they wouldn't be expecting.

If they moved the location, it would set back all my work prepping to take this place. And I was counting on the cash I would take from this place to get me the gear I needed. A proper tinkertech crossbow curtesy of Toybox and some other toys would give me a bigger edge against my prey.

So I'd hunted my prey, taking care to never hint what my true target was, instead hinting dozens of other targets counting on the goons' to run back to their leaders and report that I had interrogated them. After all a smart predator didn't take the strongest animal in the herd. It singled out the weak and the sickly because they were the weakest prey.

And so I'd been hitting the ABB like this. The Empire just had too many capes to risk going at just yet. I would respond to if I found their thugs alone and vulnerable, but taking their hideouts and safe houses was a bigger risk than I was ready for.

In an hour a lieutenant was supposed to come make a pickup. I intended to interrupt that. But for now I would keep watch. Not wanting to let them know I was here I was tucked into the shadows, a perfect vantage to watch the street and see the lieutenant and any goons coming or going.

A few minutes into my wait my phone buzzed silently from my pocket. Sighing, but not bothering checking who it was I pressed my Bluetooth earpiece. "What is it?" In my ear I could hear Emma speak.

"How's it going?" I sighed, she knew the rough plan, she knew I was stuck waiting. I swear to god sometimes it felt like I was the only friend she had given how much she clung to me.

"I'm sitting on a roof and waiting. How do you think it's going?" I quietly snapped back. I was far enough and there were enough open windows I didn't expect problems, but talking too loudly was just inviting trouble and Murphy's Law.

"Oh, well I've been listening to the police scanner again. It's actually been pretty quiet. A few drunks and merchants got arrested but nothing major. It's like all the Capes in the city decided to stay in and watch MASH re-runs.

I felt myself making a face. "MASH re-runs? Seriously? Why the heck would a Cape be watching that?"

Emma's tone got defensive. "I don't know. I just remember Uncle Danny mentioning that sometimes after late nights when he's just not ready to sleep, when he gets home from the Office late he likes to watch the re-runs."

I quietly sighed. Blame me, I sure couldn't given the conversation I was trapped in. What was I supposed to do? Hang up on the overly emotional bitch? I needed her if nothing else to listen to the police scanners for me so I could respond to Villain Cape sightings. But she came up with that as an explanation for what the Capes were doing? Seriously?

"Girl that show is Old… you're the one who said he was old fashioned. More likely the Leaders are keeping their capes in line. None of the small gangs like the Undersiders, Merchants, or Coil are going to risk bringing down the Empire, ABB, or Marche. Its just the way it is. Marquis set his code on this city ever since he and Allfather teamed up to drive the Teeth out. The big three set their way and even the Protectorate and the PRT play along."

I could hear an uncertain noise in response and I sighed. "Look I'm right about this okay. Who's left in the city? Faultline's crew? They may be mercenaries but they don't work jobs in the city. Not shitting where you eat and all that. Merchants are just a bunch of druggies and even with two… well three Capes."

Emma interrupted me before I could continue. "Wait they have three capes now? How could scum like that get another?"

I shrugged in the darkness. "Picked up word that they managed to get a tinker strung out on drugs and Skidmark hid her away. I'll deal with them later when I've got more resources. Druggies aren't likely to be equipped well but given how high I expect them to be, stupid and unpredictable isn't something I want until I'm ready for it. ABB are better but more predictable which I need for now."

She mumbled an agreement and I smirked. Of course I was right; at least she could see it. "Anyways Marquis doesn't show himself and he doesn't have safe houses like the others I can just hit. Drugs aren't his thing. So unless he shows himself, if I hit his muscle I'll end up getting them calling the cops on me. Not worth my time. So ABB it is."

She was silent for a moment. I guessed she was probably sitting at her desk at her computer, given I could hear typing at a keyboard she was probably looking something up. Finally she spoke. "And the Undersiders? That new gang of thieves?"

I shrugged again. "Not enough intel yet. Supposed to have multiple capes, but with that psychopath of theirs, Bitch, I don't know shit about them. No way am I taking that fight unless the odds are in my favor until I know more. So like I said, ABB."

Turning my head to the side I turned and looked down at the street. I scanned, checked my watch and was about to settle back in for more waiting when I caught a shine of something. Something across the street had just moved into an alley. Something that shined reflecting light. I looked closer. Nothing stuck out but I kept watching.

In my ear Emma kept speaking. "Hey what about…"

I quickly cut her off. Didn't need to be distracted. Might be nothing but that had probably been something metal. "Shut up. I thought I saw something." I ignored her mumbled reply as she got quiet and I quickly watched. In the shadows, dressed in my all black costume I was very hard to see. I'd done my homework, and if this was an ABB spotter taking position in advance of the Lieutenant's arrival. A bit later I finally spotted someone pulling their way up onto a roof. I pulled out a compact pair of binoculars. They weren't tinkertech or anything that would let me see in the dark, but the moon was full tonight, and right now it had come out from behind the clouds.

Taking a closer look I studied the figure. At first I thought it might have been one of the newer Wards Gallant. But the armor wasn't right. Granted that was probably tinkertech but it wasn't right for the kid hero. Also this looked more genuinely medieval from what I remember when history classes had dragged me to the city's museum. There'd once been an exhibit of medieval times, including knights. This looked quite close. True there was some blue fabric underneath that black gleaming metal.

Not red cloth or paint. This wasn't the Empire's Crusader. Pulling my phone I zoomed in as best I could and snapped a pic and ducking back into the cover of shadows I quickly texted it to Emma. "Hey, just sent you a pic. Know who this is? I haven't seen them before and I want intel before I attack a hero or a villain with a hard counter."

I glanced back and yep they were definitely checking out the safe house. Oh fuck that, I'd been here first! But first I wanted to hear back from Emma. I could hear her typing away and muttering as she spoke. "Knight… Black armor… Do you see any weapons with them?" I turned and took another glance with my binoculars. "No weapons yet."

Her reply was instant. "Damn, alright well there's quite a few knight themed Capes, lets see who looks close… No… No… dead… Birdcaged… Seattle... No.." This went on for quite some time. Clearly this wasn't one of the famous ones. Finally though she did find something. "Hold on… umm I'm not positive but that might be Joan Arc."

My response was of course instant. "Who?"

"Joan Arc. Looks like she first showed up years and years ago. Like before we were born. She worked under Lustrum here in the Bay for a year or two but vanished before Lustrum got Birdcaged. There's some speculation she might have been one of Lustrum's lovers though that seems more to be disregarded and only pursued by those perverts on PHO that try and ship various Capes. Definitely one of Lustrum's lieutenants though at the least maybe even her number two. "

I blinked in surprise at that information as Emma continued.

"Not a lot on her. Minor Brute and Shaker rating. Looks like she can summon weapons into her hand and she's supposed to be really good with them. She appeared a few years later in some underground pit fights that featured Cape on Cape matches, moved all around the country since I'm finding videos that look like they were from all over the place. Apart from the fights it doesn't look like she's done much. Hasn't been seen in a few years, more than a few people who watch this sort of thing apparently thought she'd died or been killed."

I quietly leaned back over and glanced at the figure, who was female, go figure, with that armor I never would have guessed. "So Villain?" I kinda figured given they used to be with Lustrum who got her ass Birdcaged. "Oh yeah, she killed more than a few Capes in these fights. She's supposed to be really good at them one of the more deadly pit fighters.

"Shit." Shit was right. Going up against this bitch would be like going up against Cricket or Hookwolf. Lots of combat experience. I'd need to ambush her if I got the chance. I saw movement on the street and there rolling down the street came a car. I checked my watch. Shit that was probably the lieutenant. I should be getting into position and getting over to the roof of the drug stash but with Joan Arc here I wasn't ready for that. The whole situation had changed. Fuck if this bitch made me miss my shot at this guy I was going to be pissed.

The car rolled to a stop and a tattooed Asian guy got out, that was him. I glanced up towards Joan Arc checking to see what she was doing and froze eyes widening. It was just a moment and the moon which had been hidden behind clouds as the car rolled up, now it was back for just a moment and it was reflecting light not just off the Cape's black metal medieval styled armor, but also a spear that they had raised up.

My heart skipped a beat and when it picked up again the Cape loosed their weapon flinging it down at the Asians gathering in the street below. The clouds came back and I couldn't see much in the renewed darkness but I could hear a scream of pain. A moment later there was another scream, then another, followed by something that sounded like metal scraping and screeching crashing through metal. Damn it I needed to get closer.

Leaping over the side of the building I shifted to my breaker state and used my power to parkour my way closer to the safe house. When I finally got to a new much closer vantage point directly over the exterior I was treated to a gruesome scene.

Three of the Asian gangbangers were on the ground, two were still in their dying stages as they bled through, the spears having run completely through the bodies of all of them. The third Asian had died as the spear had pierced right through his neck. I don't know if that's where Joan Arc had aimed for but the sight sent a chill through my spine.

And right now Joan Arc was… had been fighting the fourth Asian… as now there was a head rolling across the street. The night was still with the exception of the whimpers of the dying, and that was quickly silenced. The black knight held their sword aloft as if eyeing it for a moment before heading into the very building I was atop. I didn't dare even breath as I tucked myself in. I was a predator I knew this in my heart. But right now I was a predator in the presence of another predator, another one who was very very good at killing. I knew I could bring her down, hell I knew I would. But first I needed to survive this night.

Taking a deep breath to calm myself, and taking a moment to turn off my phone so that Emma's calls wouldn't distract me I slipped into my breaker state and dropped through the roof. I'd done my recon before so I knew there were catwalks in the warehouse under me. I reverted back just less than an inch off the catwalk. Now inside where electric lights illuminated the inside I was treated to already dead corpses. I hadn't even heard this Villain go to work in here and three more were already dead, cut down before they had a chance to do anything. I watched from the shadows as the Villain took a look, kicking a shotgun lying on the floor away.

They walked past the tables of drugs and the tables of money just looking around before moving back to the entrance. Pulling something from their armor they tossed it into the warehouse. It took me a moment to identify it. Given the overly medieval weaponry and style it took me longer than it should have to identify the grenade for what it was. I barely went to breaker state in time. By the time it went off and I reverted back it was just in time to hear the warehouse doors being slammed shut as what had clearly been an incendiary grenade began to burn.

Fuck! One of the tables was already alight and that fire was quickly spreading. Dropping down I looked around. I needed this fucking money to keep doing what I was doing! Tinkertech from Toybox was not cheap either!

I found an intact plastic shopping bag and as the fire and the smoke quickly spread I moved to one table that wasn't yet aflame. Shoving money of all denominations into the plastic I grabbed what I could and sprinted for a wall and prayed there wouldn't be any electrical running inside the brick.

My prayers were answered and I made it through the wall with my scavenged money saved from the flames. I kept running in the darkness. This was not what I'd been expecting when I left my house through my bedroom window. I'd been expecting to be the heroic predator, instead I was just a scavenger tonight, stealing from the kill of another predator instead.

And as I moved through the shadows putting as much distance from the warehouse that now had flames visibly coming through windows I never saw the blue eyes watching me through the narrow slits of a medieval helmet.


	5. Chapter 1-4: Sophia Hess

My fingers slowly ran over the hard metal and plastic of the crossbow. Sitting on a crate in an abandoned warehouse in the docks I was holding my crossbow in my hands. I'd just been visited by a member of Toybox who had stepped out of some kind of Tinkertech made portal. After a few quick questions about care and maintenance of my new purchase I'd handed over the cash and he'd handed over a black case.

Now he was gone and I had opened the case to reveal the smooth sleek lines of the crossbow. It wasn't as large as a proper hunting crossbow available to the general commercial public. Smaller, deliberately since I was still growing I'd asked for one suited to my size and they'd complied.

My eyes drifted to the quiver still in the case. I had to admit Toybox was definitely living up to their reputation. It wasn't just a weapon and ammunition; they'd even included the harnesses I needed to secure the weapon and the quivers so I didn't have to carry it all the time on patrol. It was really neat because the crossbow utilized tinkertech to compact down. Once it had folded itself up, it resembled a weirdly over-sized gun rather than a crossbow.

I took a moment and started pulling the harnesses from the case. The main one was a baldric type thing that I could use to carry the crossbow on my back when it was compact. I also had two quivers that I would strap to the sides of my legs. Once I had strapped the first one in place and was in the process of getting the second one in place my alarm went off. I glanced at it and swore.

Turning my head I could see through the broken glass windows of the warehouse that to the east the sky over the Atlantic Ocean was just barely starting to lighten. It was going to be dawn soon! I hurried up strapping the quiver on. I might have tightened the strap a bit too much but I didn't have much time to get back home before I would be noticed missing.

I shoved twenty bolts into each quiver, double checked that the crossbow was safely in its harness and wouldn't come out, and left the rest of the bolts in the case.

Ready I started running through the darkness case in hand, armed with my new weaponry. After a bit I was glad I had taken up cross country running particularly with Taylor taunting me by constantly matching me. I'd never admit it to the bitch's face, but she'd helped me push myself farther, and that endurance and ability was making itself very helpful right now.

The case was bulky and hard to carry at speed and I was struggling by the time the sun was just coming up and I was three blocks from home. Shifting my grip didn't work, and carrying it cradled across my chest with both arms worked but it made the run awkward.

Finally though I made it home and completely without incident or delay thank god. Like always I made my way around the back and then shifted to my breaker state to walk right through the back door. Shifting back I could hear the shower running. Damn my mom was up early. I made it back just in time. Taking the steps as lightly as possible I made it to my room just in time to hear the water stop running. I quietly cursed and went straight through the door with my power. The case went under my bed and I quickly began stripping out of my costume shoving bits and pieces into the corner out of sight. When I heard the door to the bathroom we all shared I held my breath and went still. Then a breath of relief when she walked by without stopping at my door or worse opening.

My mom could go shove it, I didn't give a damn whatever it was she wanted to talk about. Luckily I'd been dropping hints whenever I got caught in conversations since my Trigger, and by now she'd mostly got the hint. Shucking out the last of my clothes and tossing a few other things on top to hide them I sat down on my bed and breathed a sigh of relief.

Of course that relief quickly changed to a groan of frustration when my phone started ringing. I grabbed it and glanced at it before accepting the call and snapping a quick answer. "What?!"

It was more a shout than anything else but I felt no guilt as I heard Emma. "Hey. I so need new, new, clothes for today. Everything I've got is so last summer. I'm gonna go to the mall. Want to come with me?"

I couldn't resist the urge to glare at my phone and try to melt the piece of plastic and metal with my irritation. "No! It's…" I glanced to the side at my clock. "Six AM! Why are you even calling me?!"

Emma barreled forward ignoring my obvious irritation, damn it, and here I'd hoped she'd get the message and let me be. "Well you said you'd be calling Toybox and…"

I instantly interrupted. "Emma. Shut. The. Fuck. UP! I don't have a tinkertech phone and neither do you so don't talk about this shit on a normal fucking phone!"

God was she a freaking idiot. Tinkertech phones sure maybe that'd be more reasonable but there were Scion only knew how many Capes out there with however many powers that might be capable of taping a phone call with an ordinary phone. Tinkertech phones sure, that was more reliable that someone couldn't hack it. But we lived in a world where people with powers casually told everything from physics to sanity and time itself to go fuck itself. Tapping a phone call was practically child's play by comparison.

I swear it was like I was dealing with a kid playing with a gun thinking it was a toy. This wasn't a game. I may have treated it as that at first but I'd realized I needed to Commit to this completely. This wasn't something you did half-assed. Cape Life was serious. With Endbringers, and the likes of the ABB, Empire, Marche, and traveling groups like the Nine I had to be prepared to never come home after a night. If I did maiming or permanent injury was a possibility.

It wasn't like Brockton Bay had a healer for hire I could just go to. No if I got injured that was it unless I could score some Tinkertech drugs like what Medhall made for the Government, Military, and of course the PRT and Protectorate. Toybox had a lot of things for sale but Healing Tinkertech was minimal, apparently whoever they had, had been killed when the Nine had tried their one go at taking out Toybox.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard Emma speaking louder. "What is it?"

Emma went quiet and timid at that for a second, god why couldn't she be more like Taylor, never letting things go, but punching back. The skinny bitch never failed to get under my skin no matter what she did, but god she wasn't weak or a pussy. In all the rest of Winslow Taylor was like a breath of fresh air… well fresh air if every time I breathed I wanted to punch something or someone. Hell yesterday she got so far under my skin just from taunting that I actually threw an actual punch! And of course little miss 'better than you at everything' just slides out of the way. But does Taylor get pissed? Nope she just says I'm 'cute!'

"I thought we got disconnected. You didn't say anything for a bit…" I sighed, doing it deliberately loud enough, hell raising the phone so she couldn't miss hearing it. "No I'm busy. Look you do your thing. I'm still coming to your Dad's damn cookout later right?"

And of course that cheers sad little Emma right back up like nothing was wrong. "Yep! My Mom's going to come get you at eleven alright? I figure you and I can hang out while my Dad cooks and people are getting here."

Was it too late to back out? Probably not, and Mr. Barnes was a valuable connection dammit. "Yeah see you then." I say before just hanging up before I get annoyed enough to change my mind.

Groaning I slump back onto my bed and close my eyes just wishing this day would fucking be over so I could go out with my new weapon.

Morning passes quickly. I catch an hour of sleep to make up for my late night patrol plus my meeting with the Toybox representative. If I took a few of the store bought Caffeine pills I'd started taking regularly ever since I'd started my night time routine, I'd make it through the day. Skip the patrol and just spend some time in the Boat Graveyard doing target practice and I'd call it quits.

When I woke up I took a shower, banged out my homework, and ate. Soon enough I heard a horn honking the street. A glance out the window showed Mrs. Barnes' car and I headed down the stairs of my home and headed out the door after shutting and locking it behind me. I'm a little surprised when it isn't Mrs. Barnes, but rather her sister… what was her name?

I walked forward to the street and opened the door and got in. It was as I was buckling my seat belt that I finally remembered her name. Anne. Thank god, if I'm going to stay in this family's good graces as a future connection I might need, forgetting their names would just fucking piss them off. I know it would for me.

The college aged woman gives me a look over. "Buckled? Good." And then we're off. I've already gotten the riot act lite from Anne back when I first met her. Big protective sister of Emma she was, which I could sort of respect. I know that I may not have anything much good to think of my mom but I'd slice the throat of anyone who tried to fuck with my little sis.

The drive took a bit, the Barnes' lived in a much better area of the city than I did, but eventually we got to a nice two story home that was probably twice as big as the rat trap my Mom had. Anne parked in the street and I got out of the car looking up at the home. I could already smell something cooking, no doubt Mr. Barnes had started already grilling from the smell. Adult men always seemed to always go on about cooking on a grill, and other stupid testosterone based activities.

There were a few other cars already on the street, and the driveway was full too. There was a loud group of laughs coming from the back. Clearly I was not early. Giving a shrug as I firmed my resolve, the smell of food did help, after the night I'd had, I was still hungry, and I headed towards the front door. Walking inside I headed towards the kitchen and the backyard as it was just a few adults I didn't know.

There was a man's voice in the kitchen speaking as I got there. "Anyways It's good to meet you kid. Emma I'm gonna go bug your dad and see if he's burning the burgers like usual."

I could hear Emma giggle as if the statement was funny. "Alright Uncle Danny." Was Emma's response as I walked in just in time to see a tall skinny man walking out into the backyard. Emma sitting at the kitchen table with a pudgy boy I didn't 'now instantly spotted me. "Sophia! You made it." She got out of her chair and made a beeline for me. "Come on you gotta tell me all about your shopping trip."

I could only be grateful that she was favoring discretion as she pulled me away, she turned to the boy as we walked away. "Theo I'll talk to you later. Sophia told me she had the most amazing shopping trip just recently and I've got to ask her about it. Girl stuff you know." The boy who seemed close to our age, maybe a middle school student and clearly a total loser of a wimp just nodded timidly, clearly neither interested, nor bold enough to press the issue. "Oh hey Mr. Anders. Sorry Sophia and I are just coming through."

I turned my head back to the front to see a tall black haired and kinda imposing man wearing a suit in what I'd heard was 'casual business' or just no tie, looking at me for a moment. He was standing in the hallway blocking the way, but he said nothing and moment later shifted to the side to let us pass. I dismissed him from my mind, whoever the adult was, he was just a friend of Mr. Barnes and wasn't important. He was already gone from my sight as Emma led me upstairs practically at a run and then we were sealed away from the rest of the world as Emma yanked me with Brute level strength into her room and slammed the door shut. I could hear someone, probably Mrs. Barnes shout up from downstairs. "Emma don't slam the doors!" She turned to her door, sharply yanking it open and shouting back down the stairs. "Sorry mom!" Then slammed it again just as hard.

I could only shake my had and sigh at the girl's antics as she turned and focused on me with a hungry look. "So how was it? Tell. Me. Everything!"


	6. Interlude: Glory Girl

I sat in the hard backed chair of the briefing room. All around me were the voices of kids my age both older and younger. We were all here for one thing, training. Off to the side the more longer serving members of the Wards that had already been through this training period were in their own circle. Despite the fact that I would be remaining in the city with them after the training period was over, I was sitting grouped with all the rest of the Wards.

At the head of the room I could see Armsmaster was busy at work at a computer that would be used to control the projector for the room. Ms. Militia was off to the side having a hushed conversation with one of the non-powered PRT employees, one of the troopers by the look of it. She was too far away and I couldn't hear anything so I didn't try. I just kept my aura tamped down and when a moment later I realized I couldn't feel my chair anymore I concentrated and stopped flying half an inch above my seat and settled back in.

I didn't try to talk to the others around me. With the exception of the Brockton Bay Wards 'garrison' all of the other kids in the room would be out of here in two to three months and replaced with a whole new group that they would bring in for training. My eyes shifted to the lone person who looked distinctly unhappy, a mousy brown haired woman who I'd heard was a representative from the Youth Guard.

My attention was pulled away when Ms. Militia loudly cleared her throat up at the front. Looking back at her I could see Armsmaster had shifted to the side to stand next to the PRT trooper, my eyes flicked back to the head of the Protectorate ENE standing behind the podium in all her patriotic glory.

"Hello Wards." Ms. Militia said loud enough we could all hear and she sounded genuinely friendly about it. "Welcome to Brockton Bay and the Wards Training Initiative. We will all have plenty of time to talk under more sociable circumstances. For now however I would like to make something very clear." Her voice instantly shifted from friendly to hard, designed and chosen no doubt to make sure we all paid attention.

"You are all here because regardless of if you had your Trigger a week ago or three years ago, you are quite simply unready and unprepared. This program is designed to prepare you for when you will go on to become adult heros of the Protectorate. Not in combat, but in how to deal with Villains, Rogues, and Independents. This program is specifically so you all stay alive and stay safe as much as is possible."

"Brockton Bay as many of you know has one of the highest Cape to population ratios in the US. While other cities like New York, Chicago, Houston, and more all have significant Cape populations, often higher on a simples number comparison, you won't find a single city in the US where Capes exist in such intensity. You are also here because quite simply, we do not have control of this city."

Ms. Militia raised a laser pointer and pressed a button. "Brockton Bay is home to numerous criminal Cape groups, many of whom you may have already heard of, or in the cases of some of you, had interactions with in some way before." My lips tightened and I could hear a whimper from a ward beside me. Cursing I crushed my aura back down and focused back on the briefing.

"Up here on the screen I am going to familiarize you with the main factions. Brockton Bay has always had a significant transient population of capes so an exact number and survey is impossible on a month to month, and sometimes week to week basis. However let's cover the major figures to start."

She pressed a button and a picture of Kaiser's armored form, taken at what appeared to be an E88 rally was on the right side of the screen with a symbol of the E88 on the left.

"This is Kaiser. He is the second generation head of the Empire Eighty-Eight. A group that boasts the largest count of Adult Capes in the Bay. The Empire as many of you know are white supremacists. They are organized and dangerous. They usually avoid provoking a fight but will retaliate when attacked. If you sight an Empire cape while on patrol you are not permitted to engage them. This is for both your own safeties, as the Empire has always ensured that their Capes are well trained and they have a very high combat affinity. Also we do not want to provoke a gang war."

The button was pressed again and now came a symbol of a ABB tag on a wall plus a pair of pictures one of Lung in his basic human form, that of a heavily tattooed and muscular, and shirtless no less, Asian man. He was wearing a metal mask in the shape and guise of a dragon. The second picture showed a ramped up lung with gleaming scales spitting fire for all to see.

"This is Lung. He is the leaders of the Asian Bad Boyz, and yes that name is real. He is known for surviving a one on one fight with Leviathan, something not many Parahumans of any calling can say. In addition while Lung only has one Parahuman under him, both he and his lieutenant Oni Lee, are responsible for dozens if not hundreds of deaths that we know of, maybe more. They also have the largest non-powered group of thugs and gang members. Some of you can handle a non-powered gang member without issue, many of you can't. Do not engage any member of the ABB."

I leaned forward slightly knowing who was coming next, and sure enough when Ms. Militia pressed the button again there was a picture of Marquis.

"Our third and final faction is Marquis. He is the longest reigning member of the Bay's criminal scene. He has also survived fights with numerous gangs, S Class threats, and one Endbringer fight. While he is not the most powerful Villain in Brockton Bay he is considered the most dangerous."

Ms. Militia pressed the button again and the screen we were all looking at changed showing a picture of each of the three leaders. "These villains collectively have a choke hold over this city. Destabilizing one of them by capturing or killing them will only create a power vacuum that the other two, as well as outside factions will attempt to exploit. You all are quite simply, here to learn how to act and how to proceed in occupied territory. We treat each of these villains as a ruling Warlord with their own territory and armies."

"This is important because you will often be placed in situations in your life where victory is not always an acceptable option if the costs are too high. These villains are certainly defeat able. If the Triumvarate were to arrive along with other Protectorate members, we could kill or drive them and their followers from this city. However the civilian death total would be high, easily in the thousands by our most favorable Thinker created projections. Quite possibly bad enough that when it is over, Brockton Bay would be rendered unlivable."

"The point I am trying to make here is that all of you are here to learn how to think before you act when dealing with Villains." She pressed a button and Marquis popped up again. "None of our resident Warlords exemplifies this better than Marquis. Marquis quite simply does not operate like many Villains. He does not deal drugs, he does not sell weapons. He does not target women and children under normal circumstances. He has a very strict code. A code that all of you will be briefed on later to make sure that there are no issues."

I could hear a soft groan of metal and glancing down showed I'd gripped the arm rests of my chair so hard the metal had crumpled. Scowling I looked back up. I needed to listen to this. What was being said here was important if I wanted to fulfill my goal.

"Marquis is different in that he has established a set of rules over this city. Because of his fame and reputation, as well as a sort of agreement that we still don't know the full details of, between himself and Allfather, the founder and original leader of the Empire, Villains are expected to behave with a certain level of conduct. Non-powered gang members commit crimes as they normally do in many cities, however all Villainous and Independent Capes in the city follow the Marquis' Code. This set of unspoken rules establishes many things such as neutral grounds, safe zones such as schools, churches, and hospitals."

This is important because despite the presence of a large and militant white supremacist group, this city's synagogues have only been attacked once, and when it happened, Allfather himself dealt with it. Not because he felt the action was wrong. In fact we have record of Allfather saying it should happen again. But because it went against Marquis' code, and Allfather was either unwilling, or unable to break his fellow Warlord's rules and cause a war between them."

"Now I'm going to step back and let Director Calvert say a few words, after which Armsmaster will cover this week's updates to the faction situation for the Bay."

Ms. Militia stepped back and now that we were off the topic of Marquis my grip on the crushed metal of my chair finally relaxed. Up at the front a tall skinny man in a suit who was the Director for the PRT here in Brockton Bay, Thomas Calvert stepped up to the podium.

"Good afternoon. I'm Director Calvert. And let me simply say, that I hope you are all paying attention. Going unprepared into hostile situations against enemy Parahumans will result in more than just a failed mission. It will also result in death, possibly of yourselves, but quite likely of your allies, your friends, your team mates, and quite possibly your friends and families if your mistakes are bad enough. Just so that all of you understand what I mean, let me explain something very clearly. I am one of two survivors of the PRT teams that responded to Nilbog. Bad information, bad coordination, bad leadership resulted in a loss and a failure that has still not been resolved."

I couldn't help but pay a little closer attention. This guy survived Nilbog. Holy shit! One of the US's more infamous, if overall less actively threatening S Class Threats, right up there with the Slaughterhouse Nine.

"Please listen to the heroes as well as members of the PRT such as myself and Seargent Kinsky behind me. We are here so that you learn from both our successes and failures so that you succeed in a safe and effective manner. But enough doom and gloom. I welcome all of you to Brockton Bay and the Protectorate Ward Training Initiative."

He stepped away from the podium to polite applause from Ms. Militia and plenty of my fellow Wards though it wasn't overwhelming. Politely I clapped too. Up front Armsmaster stepped up to the podium.

"Sgt. Koch will be speaking very shortly about integrated operations with PRT personnel, however I am here because the situation here in Brockton Bay has become more fluid, as some of you will be leaving immediately after this for patrols and training, it has been deemed necessary that you have the following information."

Armsmaster, who now had the projector button pressed it and I was looking at what appeared to be a roster of the Empire, laid out to show not just Kaiser and all his capes, but also an estimated hierarchy and order of command.

"Our Thinker analysts have confirmed that the Empire is currently undergoing factional changes. As you all can see Purity, the terrorists from Europe, Night and Fog, as well as Cricket and Rune are all grayed out. Currently Thinkers are considering these individuals eliminated for the temporary future from Empire activities. While this does mean increased safety, because of uneasiness in Empire rank and file non-powered gang members, there is a high probability that Empire leadership will be making a show of strength in the near or immediate future. Please be aware at all times if you are engaging Empire members that the situation is volatile."

Was it just me or did he sound like he was reading right off of a script? I had no time to decide as he pressed a button and a picture of Marquis popped back up alongside a pair of other pictures. "This is yet as unconfirmed by our Thinker analysists but it is possible that Marquis may be making a power move as well, perhaps in response to the Empire's condition, or in regards to an unrelated matter. This figure." He used a red laser pointer to highlight the head shot of a person wearing a full covering helmet with a white skull painted or printed on the front. "Has just tentatively been identified as code name Hirsent. Currently estimated to be a teenage Parahuman with a Medium to High Brute rating and low Changer Rating."

The button was pressed again and we were treated to a video of the masked figure in the middle of a fight against another Cape. The footage wasn't good, it was likely taken on a camera. "This footage was just added to this cape's file this morning. It is from January of this year and features Hirsent against the villainous cape pit fighter Rawhide. As you can see Hirsent has claws of what appear to be bone that protrudes from her hands, additionally evidence is shone in this video of an extremely enhanced regeneration as well as enhanced reflexes. Hirsent also has second changer ability."

"Over the course of the fight which lasts close to three minutes, her claws develop a metal coating. The mechanism of this is unknown if this is something she can control or not at this time. Many pit fighters often hold back for the purposes of drawing out a fight to make it more showy. Finally I should tell you that her Brute abilities are high enough to survive a direct full powered hit from Leviathan."

He pressed the button again and a quick three second video showing the same figure being struck full on by Leviathan occurs. I could hear the murmurs throughout the room by everyone watching. I had to admit, even with my immunity shield, I wasn't sure I could survive the same thing. Anyone who didn't die from a hit like that was someone with the potential to be very, very, dangerous.

"Hirsent has been sighted patrolling the Boardwalk on two separate occasions with Marche non-powered members. It is believed at this time that Marquis has either hired or somehow acquired the help of these two villains."

He pressed the button again showing another figure, this one in a similar pit fighting situation, this time just a photo though. "This is Joan Arc. A low rank Brute/Shaker combo who can summon and has deadly skill with any weapon she has been recorded summoning. Joan Arc has been recorded fighting in team pit matches alongside Hirsent on numerous occasions and it is believed they are a traveling pair of pit fighters much like the Empire's Hookwolf, and Crickett duo. Joan Arc has not yet been spotted in Brockton Bay but the two are considered a pair until otherwise confirmed by Protectorate and Guild thinkers. At this time we would like everyone to consider them to be members of the Marche and to treat them accordingly."

He pressed a button and a picture of an absolutely terrible looking black man in a ragged overcoat with a makeshift mask on.

"Moving on to the next villain roster change…"

As Armsmaster continued to talk I leaned back in my chair, my grip relaxing again. I would go through this. I would learn everything they could teach me, and when I was finally ready. I would kill Marquis for what he did to my family.


	7. Chapter 2-1: Annette Hebert

_Original SB's AN: Here as promised is the start of my next chapter arc. Like the first one that featured one character exclusively this will feature Annette alone as the only character viewpoint until it ends and switches to the next viewpoint chapter arc. Unless I decide to add another interlude somewhere in the middle don't expect any viewpoint rotations for a little bit._

_In unrelated regards I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/Holiday Season for whatever religion you may or may not celebrate, as well as had a fun (and hopefully safe) New Years. Anyways without further ado…_

* * *

I sighed as I finished putting the final touches on my morning routine. I could hear thumping and something falling over from the bathroom the girls were sharing. Taking in Ada hadn't been in my plans but it was a debt I'd needed to pay.

Walking out of the room I shared with Danny who from the smell of coffee and bacon was already downstairs. I suppressed the smile that was creeping on my face. Ever since Taylor and I had come home it was like he was a new man. Our departure had been necessary, after the incident there had been no choice. But, it was nice to have my husband back and to see the spark of life that he'd had before when he'd visited during the years we'd been separated.

Not bothering to knock I walked down the short hall and opened the door just in time to hear Taylor shouting. "Touch it again and I'll take off your fucking head!"

The sight that I was confronted with was Taylor one hand at Ada's throat. Taylor's other hand was raised in a fist, twin bone claws emerged from between her knuckles. Pressed against the wall was Ada with a pissed off expression holding what looked like Taylor's hairbrush of all things. I loudly cleared my throat and both heads whipped around to look at me.

I simply crossed my arms in stern irritation while Taylor retracted her claws and let go of Ada's throat while moving to the side and standing there fists clenched at her sides while she faced me, eyes locked on me with supreme confidence that she was in the right.

Ada stood there, far less certain. Even several months into my responsibilities of caring for her she was still intimidated by my mere presence. I sighed, her fear may have kept her in line from misbehaving but it wasn't doing shit regarding her parents request when they'd called in their favor and asked me to take her in. As long as she was afraid of me and in fear of my mere presence she was holding to the beliefs she'd been raised with.

"Girls. I don't care what this is about. I told you when we moved in that as long as you both live under my rules you will treat each other as sisters. I'm not expecting you to be friends. Siblings fight. I know this just as well as anyone else who's ever had a sibling."

I snapped a glance at Ada who was about to make a comment or question about my parentage and the sibling in question given how she had that Look. Watching Taylor to see if any of my words were sinking in I continued.

"But there is a difference between a fight and threats of death. That is something I will not permit. Family does not betray family no matter how different your views or lives may be."

Taylor gave that sullen nod that told me she would listen and obey because I told her to. I'd sit her down at some time later on when Ada was doing something else and I'd talk more. I needed these two to at least tolerate each other for the remainder of the year that Ada would be here with us. Ada was clearly struggling more. It had been two months of the twelve now and Ada always seemed to have this expression like she was never sure of what direction was up. I suppose given the life she'd had before her parents had come to me it was a bit of a culture shock. I know it hadn't been easy for me even with how different I'd had things.

She gave a sullen nod and I knew she'd need a talk or more as well later on. Holding a hand out to Taylor she passed me her brush with a grumpy look and I took Ada's chin in my hand and looking at her for a moment I brushed at her blond locks of hair. Once she was looking better, both girls still silent at my presence I set the brush down on the counter, specifically on Taylor's side where she kept her things and sighed. "Both of you finish getting ready. You have sparring with Melody from noon to three you will be early."

Taylor and Ada both nodded and I turned walking away. I could hear grumbling and muttered words but no renewed hostilities so I counted it as a temporary victory as I headed downstairs. Danny was in the kitchen and I sighed at seeing him dressed for work down at the Docks.

"Do you really have to go in to work today?"

He looked up smiling with that bright thousand watt smile and leaned in to kiss me when I approached. I returned it of course with an almost equal amount of passion on my part, more than enough that an oblivious male like him wouldn't notice the little bit that was missing due to my preoccupied mind.

"Yeah. Union's lost another two of the office people on top of everyone else that's not with us anymore. I hate to say it but with Gary's wife in the hospital with cancer I don't expect to see him much. Health insurance won't cover tinkertech meds for her so he's taking a lot of time off and I'm covering the difference."

I nodded in understanding even if I wished he wasn't so committed to his work. But then he wouldn't be the man I'd loved and respected enough to marry if he hadn't been. Watching Danny at work, holding back a seemingly inevitable tide with what seemed like only his own two hands on some days, even all those years ago… It'd drawn me to him even if he'd never been my first choice. We were happy together, god that first morning I'd woken up in his bed when we got back, knowing he didn't need to hop on a plane or take a drive in a few hours to go back to the Bay, it had been sweet bliss. But this was the man I'd married knowing he was married to his work. And that was something I would never change about him.

"Alright, you are just taking a half day so that you are still going over to Allen's right?"

Danny nodded and leaned back against the counter sipping from a mug of coffee while on the stove potatoes continued to cook and I could smell the bacon in the oven like it was mana from heaven. "Yeah, I'll be done by eleven, just a few hours doing Gary's paperwork." He glanced at me with an appraising look that I knew was him worrying and it didn't take a genius to know just what that worry was about. He continued hesitantly. "If you don't want to come it's not a problem. I can make some excuse to Allen. Just drop off the girls so they get a bit of food and fun and come home or wherever. I know it won't be easy seeing Him again."

I nodded. This afternoon, well it was a day for reunions on at least two counts, but one of them would be, hopefully, good, the second I wasn't so sure about and even now I could hear my father's voice in my head about the whole mess.

"No I need to do it. But I'm still going to go see Emily while the girls are with Melody."

I watched Danny's gaze as it got just a touch softer. We'd both known who and what the other of us was when we'd agreed to marry. Danny was married to his work and the Bay. Hell I was quite sure that he'd die in this place no matter what the future might bring. Even the incident hadn't been enough to pull him away, and I'd made peace with that long ago.

But just like he had the Bay and his work holding onto him, I had Emily. God it had been what eight months since I'd last seen her on one of her trips? The one where she'd told me in advance enough that I could grab Taylor in time to take a short vacation and go see her for even just a day or two. I'd missed Danny through all my time away from the Bay, but if I was honest with myself. I'd missed Emily more, I guess in the end first love truly was a powerful thing.

I was pulled away from my musings by a stampede of feet coming down the stairs and stepping to the side just in time I dodged a fast moving Taylor with Ada not far behind her. With a chuckle I stepped up to the stove as Danny moved aside and we cooked the rest of breakfast together.

At the table Ada and Taylor gave their orders of how they wanted their eggs cooked and I handled those on the stove while stirring the potatoes and onions as needed while Danny minded the bacon cooking in the oven, toasted and buttered bread for all four of us, and handled drinks, going so far as to pour me a much needed cup of coffee before I broke down and demanded his cup at knifepoint.

Before long we were sitting around the table all four of us eating. Danny and I made small talk. Taylor talked about that girl who had her eye at school, and I'd need to take her aside if this was more than just a rivalry but was also something more, I wouldn't let her go in as unprepared for a relationship with another girl like I had when I'd been not much older than her, and it had been Emily and I uncertainly trying to figure what we were to each other.

Ada was mostly quiet but I managed to get her to talk a bit with asking about the new book series she was reading. Thank goodness she'd had a love for books that rivaled myself or Taylor, sadly the personalities were too different for her and Taylor to ever really be friends as I'd hoped when I'd taken her in. But that was okay, ten more months to go and Ada would be back with her parents, and hopefully for the better out of all of everything.

Danny was probably the quietest of us but that was because he was only half involved in the 'girl talk' as he called it, instead focusing on the newspaper laid on the table beside his plate. And just sitting there in the middle I just savored the moment of domestic bliss for what it was.

Soon enough I would be going out and seeing Emily and then later at Allen's unless I got very lucky I would most likely be running into Max. And wouldn't that be a reunion for the ages. He'd probably have his son… what was his name? Leo? No that was a matter for later. I took a fortifying sip of coffee and mentally composed myself, driving my scratching itch back down into the abyss where it belonged and just tried to enjoy this brief moment before only memory held it anymore and we were flung forward into the unknown of the future and what it might bring.


	8. Chapter 2-2: Annette Hebert

I stood there for a moment watching the interior of the warehouse that had been converted into a private dojo of sorts. The concrete floors in the center had been covered with thin mats and padding in the central practice area. Already Melody was stalking Taylor, the grown woman wielding a bo staff, across the mat. Off to the side Ada sat waiting quietly for her turn under the tutelage of the grown woman who was even now after months of these lessons, was still managing to take apart Talor's wild and uncontrolled strikes, to send her to the floor over and over again as a lifetime of training and dedication reduced instinct and savagery to a lump or a quickly healed bruise.

As I turned away to head to my appointment with Emily I could tell that the lessons from Melody were starting to stick in finally sink in. It had taken a solid two weeks of Melody beating Taylor into the floor at first. Taylor's abilities made her absolutely fearsome in a pit fight, a small enclosed space where Blasters like myself were weak and Brutes like Taylor could rule the scene, but in a real fight, in a true gang war, my daughter's abilities would be picked apart by many combatants that knew her fighting styles.

It was with satisfaction that I knew that my choice for Taylor to take lessons in fighting from someone other than myself had been the right thing. I didn't have the right powers for true close range melee fighting like she did. I had enough experience of course, years upon years of it, that I could dominate almost any battlefield I stepped on now, and in the Pit fights where skill in some cases mattered less than showmanship, I had always just stuck to paired fights with Taylor, or in fights where I had done my research about my opponent.

I left the girls with their teacher and walked outside to where my car was parked waiting. A short while later I was walking into the bar where we would meet. It was early enough on a Saturday that while they were open, the only person who was drinking was the blond haired woman, sitting at the bar that I'd come here to meet.

So sue me that I fumbled. I'd seen her plenty of times since I'd left the Bay, but now that I was back here it felt like a thousand times more pressure rested in my shoulders. I couldn't be blamed when I just said, "Hi." Like some fucking idiot kid… I saw Emily turning and looking at me out of the corner of her eyes.

With all the speed or urgency of a glacier it felt like she turned on her stool until it was facing me. I saw the look in Emily's eyes and fuck I knew I was in for it, somehow somewhere I'd fucked up. I waited for her to speak, no point in guessing. It didn't take long when she reached out with a hand and slapped my face.

"So is that it? You get back into the Bay and suddenly you're reverting to your old ways? Huh? I told you when we first started dating that if you ever pulled that shit, we were done!"

I blinked in surprise. Old ways? What… oh… Best to stick to the honest truth here.

"No I'm not regressing. It was my itch." Emily's gaze softened slightly in understanding though she still studied me closely for a moment.

"Alright. An Itch I can understand I suppose especially given what you did and who you did it too. But you stray off the path and I don't give a fuck about our past. We are done… Now do you want me to tell me why the other shit you're up to like the people you've been taking in doesn't count either?"

My mouth tightened but I continued to answer honestly. "I don't know why I expected you not to know. Ada was a favor to her parents. They helped me get out a long time ago and I've owed them ever since. Now they want their daughter out and she isn't listening. Rather than just let her run and you know who take her, they asked the one person who He can't just take her from. As for Melody, if you think I would let a woman like her near my daughter without doing my homework, you're a fucking idiot. All she cares about is the fights and the battles, nothing more, nothing less."

Emily leaned against the bar and I couldn't help but admire the way her muscular form curved, and she knew I was looking given how that smirk curled at the edge of her lips.

"Alright I'll watch you for now Annette, but if you or your little family drama erupts up don't expect me to just forgive and forget."

At that I could only laugh a little tension sliding out of me.

"Emily you hold onto a grudge better than anyone I know. Jack Fucking Slash has an easier time letting go of his obsessions than you do."

Emily's reply was an un-amused snort though a look of concern did cross her face. "I heard about that how did…"

I cut her off, that was in the past, at least for now until I'm sure Jack showed up to drag it back to the front. "Don't want to talk about it."

She nodded cautiously raising her hands in a hands up-hands off gesture. "Alright. I won't poke. Given that psychopath whatever happened it was a goddamn shit show."

I watched as she reached over the bar and just grabbed a bottle of bourbon and refilled her glass before grabbing another glass and filling it for me. I knew Emily's obsession for having a drink far too well than to protest. So I simply grabbed the glass and raised it to clink crystal on crystal as she spoke her little toast. "To surviving goddamn shit shows." And then she just downed the whole thing back while I choked my own drink down. The glass in my hand hit the bar counter top a little harder than it should have when it was done.

I ignored her laughing as she slid off her stool. She tossed the guy behind the bar a look and gave my shoulder a squeeze with her hand. "Come on up to my office. You look like you're in need of some relaxation."

And relaxation was what I found as it was just a few minutes later I was lying on the floor of the manager's office naked as the day I was born while Emily, who was now wearing a similar level of attire was giving me a massage. I could feel her fingers running over my skin, tracing the scars, both new and old, or running along tracing what I knew was my tattoo.

"Your tree has gotten bigger… and I'm sure these are more birds than I remember as well in the branches. I could feel her fingers tracing over the massive tree tattooed on my back that had grown over the years to the point that the branches, and the crows that sat on those branches, were now winding their way onto my arms.

"They have… I need to get four more crows added soon."

I couldn't see it, my eyes were closed enjoying the talented fingers on my body, but I knew Emily well enough to know that she had a look of resignation right now. But I'd had this tattoo since before I'd even met her, even if it had grown so very much ever since. This was a part of me as much as Danny's obsession with trying to protect the Bay and the people living in it, in his own way, was a part of him.

I almost missed the next question under a particularly wonderful movement that had a knot of muscle easing out. "Did you add any swords?" She said, her fingers roving over the small of my back where I knew at the base of the tree dozens of swords were embedded blade first into the grass surrounding the tree like tombstones.

I thought about it for a moment doing the math in my head for when we'd last seen each other. "Since you last saw it? Three. Though only one since you last saw me."

She hesitated as if she didn't want to know an answer. "Were all of them because of an Itch?" When I shook my head I could hear her breath hold so I gave her the rest of the answer. "Some of them were because of Jack. Those weren't an Itch."

Her breath released a moment later and I allowed myself to relax as she understood. I wouldn't talk about what had happened in Des Moines, but Emily knew what it took to survive against a true monster. The rest of the time with her fingers tracing their way over my body, as she re-familiarized herself with my body, with its scars, and with the memorial dedicated on my back so that I would never forget what my actions wrought.

Eventually though she finished and I rolled onto my side, opening my eyes to see her there looking at my eyes with her own. For the first time uncertainty, so rare in the determined woman I love, filled her voice. "You're back now… that's going to change things, hell its already changed things. How much longer do you think Marquis' peace will last?"

I could only sigh. "I don't know. I always intended to return but Taylor's Itch is so much worse than mine. When I left I thought it would be a year, maybe two. Danny of course covered for our absence by taking the blame but we never thought it would last this long. Did you know that Taylor actually snuck out of the apartment we'd been living in to go fight Leviathan in New Orleans. That's her Itch right there. I can order her to do anything and she'll obey because I'm her mother, but I worry. She was so young when she became like us… how much of my little girl did I loose that night when I came to only to discover her covered in their blood?"

Emily leaned forward and pressed her lips softly to mine in a reassurance. "You stood by her this entire time. Never doubt that. You could have given up or given in. You could have turned out like your fucking Father, instead you pushed through it, doing what was right for Taylor no matter how hard or how successful it was."

Her finger pressed the tip of my nose. "And don't you forget it. The woman I've loved my whole fucking life is a proud mother."

She rolled me onto my back as she crawled over and straddled my waist and leaned down close to deliver a kiss to my neck before whispering in my ear. "You my lovely peasant girl, are doing the best you can. Screw the rest of it. But just remember that you chose to be a peasant. If you start ever acting like the princess again…"

I nodded in understanding and her lips met mine and worry for the future quickly vanished from both of our minds as we said hello to each other in all the best ways possible.


	9. Chapter 2-3: Annette Hebert

"So how long do you think we have for peace?"

I paused in the process of doing the buttons of the long sleeve shirt I was wearing as I looked to the side where Emily was sitting, on the couch in her office, wearing just pants and a bra, a cigarette in her fingers, the tip a-aglow.

"Honestly? Weeks, maybe a month or two. I doubt the city will know peace once Christmas comes around. Marquis will be having a sit down with Kaiser at the neutral ground, what the hell is that dingy bar called?" That caused Emily to just snort in amusement. "Tell Marquis if he ever wants to upgrade venues he can always use here."

She stretched out her arms gesturing to the walls of her office. I just smirked and shook my head even as Emily started chuckling.

"Please you aren't neutral even if the rest of the Bay thinks you are."

Emily just nodded in knowing agreement as she leaned back moving the cigarette to her mouth and taking a long drag before blowing out the smoke while I continued to dress. It was just as I was pulling on my shoes that Emily spoke again.

"And when whatever you have planned draws in the law? The PRT and the Protectorate? What will you do then?"

I could hear the edge in her voice, the hardness as Emily sought reassurance. A glance showed that even though she was sitting like she was relaxed, she was anything but. I gave a single nod.

We will try and spare the Wards, but as for the rest. When the War rages in full it won't matter if Alexandria herself shows, no mercy, no prisoners."

I turn fully looking her in the eyes, watching her eyes as she saw the conviction in my own gaze. Marquis, Taylor, and I had already sat down. This future affected all of us after all. These were not decisions made lightly. But it was inevitable, now that a thinker that owed Marquis had given us projections. Now that Glory Girl was in the Bay it was simply a matter of time. Today, tomorrow, next week, or next month. Brandish's heir and legacy would see the city in flames and every side would be drawn in whether they liked it or not. I looked back to Emily.

"Make sure your people are ready for the storm. It's likely Jack and his ilk will show. I doubt he would pass on the chance to succeed where he failed before. Knowing what I do of him and his ways, he'll pick the worst possible time to make his move. We all need to be ready if the Bay and our families will survive."

I gave an extended look and she nodded in understanding. With a sigh I stood, grabbing my purse and pulling the strap over my shoulder to hold it gently at my side. "I've got to go. Cricket will be finished with the girls and I promised them I'd take them to Alan's barbecue."

Emily nodded and stood walking towards the door of her office with me.

"Well let me walk you out."

And she did, even going so far as to open the door for me, but not before she grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me in for one last lingering kiss. I saved those lips that I'd discovered when I'd first been a teen. In a world that sometimes to never seem to go right, they were a constant refuge, but like every time I'd sought the calm and safety they promised, inevitably we had to pull away. We spent one last moment just looking each other eyes, unspoken words passing between us. Then she was pulling the door open and I was walking out into the VIP lounge. My feet carried me out to the main area of the nightclub where I heard Emily speak behind me.

"Hey hold up. I've got something for you to give Danny."

Turning I saw her walk over to the bar and grab a clearly unopened bottle from the top shelf. I glanced down at the label as she walked back over and a sad smile crossed my face as I read what the maker was. She held the bottle out to me.

"For Danny..."

I nodded in understanding as I took the bottle and turned walking away from her out the front doors of the club. I walked to the parking lot and opened the trunk of my car to put the bottle away, no need to get an illegal transportation of alcohol stop by the BBPD after all. As I got in and started pulling away, my eyes lingering on my review mirror where I could still read the reversed name of the Palaquin. I lost sight of it as I turned a corner and I focused on my driving through the streets of the city heading back towards Melody's dojo.

Once I was there I found Melody standing waiting outside with Ada and Taylor. I got out and looked to the girls.

"Get in the car, I'll be just a minute."

The two raced for the front passenger seat door but neither was stupid enough to cause trouble in public than goodness, or maybe it was just my presence combined with their teacher still watching them. I walked straight up to Melody. She uncrossed her arms at my approach and watched me silently. A moment later she turned and walked inside and I followed her into the dojo. Away from the thinly padded floor of the warehouse was a small office area. A desk filled with paperwork caught my eye, as did the display cabinets along the walls. The cabinets along with their weapons were the only things that looked far too nice for what was otherwise basically a rusting warehouse. Well maintained wood and polished glass contained hundreds of different weapons along with dozens upon dozens of trophies of all kinds that I knew from past knowledge that Melody had earned in tournaments of all kinds. There was even a single skull polished smooth lurking atop one of the cabinets in the shadows and I had no doubt that it was quite genuine. Turning back to her I studied her for a moment.

"How are they doing?"

Melody's fingers began moving as she used American Sign Language to communicate, I watched her response. I nodded before replying.

"Will they be ready?"

Her hands and fingers moved again and I felt my lips tightening. "Push them. Taylor especially but Ada needs to be ready for what is coming. Make sure you're ready too. The city will know true War, we all need to be ready when it arrives."

Melody just smirked with arrogant confidence that I couldn't help but admit she'd fully earned. The villainous woman was skilled in more martial arts than Capes ,and non-Capes alike that I knew, twice her age. Honing Taylor's wild rage was necessary and it was fully beyond my ability anymore to help her. Taylor was at the point that I needed to put her in front of someone who could quite literally beat her into the mat, over and over, as many times as were needed, relying on skill, and ability to overpower my daughter's rage and savagery, to turn her from a wild reckless beast, into a trained and hardened warrior. I chewed my lip for a moment, a nervous act that had my father's words in my head and I stopped after a moment. Even after all these years, even after all I'd pushed myself away from his ways, Even now to this day I still had trouble pushing myself away from what I'd been taught. Shaking my head to clear it I looked back at Melody.

"What about Phillip, any luck?"

Her fingers replied again and I couldn't resist the scowl that crossed my face when I saw her response.

"Not without Brad... shit... look just... keep working the girls. Delphi was clear, when Glory Girl returns to the Bay, war is inevitable, we tried to keep her from getting transferred here but she's here now. War is inevitable. So we need to be ready."

There was confidence even as she gave me a firm nod. At least she would be ready when it all went up in flames. As I turned and walked back out to the car, I could only wonder if all the rest of us would be as prepared. Outside Taylor was sitting in the passenger seat, reclined back as far as it would go, while Ada sat in the seat behind the driver with a petulant expression on my face. I couldn't help but sigh as far more immediate issues to continue to resolve. Stopping outside the car I rapped on the window twice and when I opened it to get in Taylor was putting her chair back in the upright position

I eyed both girls for a moment after I buckled myself in but decided that this wasn't the right time or place to raise issue with their behavior. So I put the car in drive and off we went. The way to Alan's was smooth with no obstructions, so it wasn't long before I was rolling up the road, and pulling to a park behind one of many cars. Clearly a Barnes Backyard BBQ was living up to its usual standard. The girls were out of the car before I was even unbuckled, but they were smart enough to mind their manners so that they waited for me. We walked up the sidewalk and I rang the doorbell to the front door of the Barnes family home. I could hear laughter and conversation from in back, but it had been so long for any of us.

There was a wait for a bit, but then the door opened. It took me a moment to recognize Zoe. Smiling I said hello.

"Hello Zoe, it's been a long time."

It took her a moment before realization dawned and a smile widened across her face as she fully stepped out of the door to greet us.

"Annette? Annette! Oh my god it's been so long since I've seen you."

We embraced. In truth they'd always been Danny's friends, not mine but I'd attended enough get-to-gethers, had them over at the house enough that we knew each other well enough that she'd counted me among her friends, at least until I'd left. Clearly she was either just behaving well or she'd never held doubts about me in my time away. I hugged her back for a moment before pulling away as she did the same.

"Zoe, you remember Taylor?"

My hand rested on Taylor's shoulder and Zoe's eyes lit up and she went in for a hug, I went still for a moment but relaxed when Taylor just returned the hug with what was probably forced enthusiasm but she accepted the hug. When Zoe completed her reuniting with my daughter, who had been all of four when last they'd seen her, I gestured towards Ada standing at my other side. "And this is Ada Weber. She's staying with us for a while."

Zoe nodded and extended a hand towards Ada.

"Well its very nice to meet you Ada."

When Ada had taken Zoe's hand and shook she stepped back. "Well come on in you three. Danny said you would be by a bit later. Don't worry there's still plenty of food and I can twist Alan's arm to fire up the gril if there isn't. So come on, come in, make yourselves comfortable."

What followed was a quick narration and tour of the house, it had changed a little bit, new furniture and paint, Alan was clearly doing well for himself as she introduced us to people. Some people I knew of, because they had dealt with Danny and he'd mentioned them, or they were just influential enough, like one of the Christeners who was sitting in the living room watching college football with a few others. It was as we got outside that I felt more than saw or heard Ada go stiff beside me, I slipped a hand to her shoulder to give it a tight squeeze when she saw who was standing off to the side with Alan holding a beer and laughing. Luckily Zoe and anyone else other than Taylor, who just gave Ada a quick glance, seemed to miss it.

"And over there is Martin and Eve Floret, they're friends of ours through church. Oh Alan, look who's here!"

Alan turned looking towards us a smile erupting on his face after a while. A moment later he was walking towards me his arms widening for a hug.

"Annette, it's been so long! Danny always said you would come back and I had to say I had my doubts but this just shows to never doubt. Then again I've played poker with him, I don't know why I doubted him in the first place."

I would have laughed at his little joke, and I did force myself to do so just a little so Allen wouldn't wonder what was wrong, but my gaze was fixed as over Alan's shoulder I was watching Max Anders standing where Alan had left him, a surprised look on his face. My gaze remained hard until Alan pulled away and I had to force my face into a mask. But I had learned young how to wear a mask.

"Oh I'm back, no worries. Nothing could keep me away forever from Danny."

And right on time he came in from the side pulling me into a hug, buying me time, I pushed my face into his shoulder taking a deep breath, calming myself while he talked.

"Oh come on Alan I let you win sometimes."

His voice rumbled with a laugh that I could feel in his body while Alan responded.

"Let me?! Oh I'm taking your money for sure next time."

I took a final breath, best not to wait too long, I need to be strong, a Valkyrie, and pulled away from my husband. Turning away from him, I saw him give me the smallest of reassuring nods. My eyes glanced over where Emma and... Sophia... were sitting together watching the group of us, looking like they were in the middle of a conversation no less. But I put them out of my mind for now as I motioned to Taylor.

"Alan, you remember our daughter Taylor?"

Alan smiled while behind him Max, still wearing that surprised expression shifted his gaze from me to Taylor. Allen of course missed it as he stepped forward and shifted his beer to his left hand as he offered Taylor his right.

"I certainly do, though you were a lot smaller last time I saw you."

I glanced to Taylor and watched her for a moment but she was still on good behavior even as Max continued to step forward.

"Well I'm not so small anymore."

Alan just laughed at that as he shook her hand.

"That you are." His gaze shifted to my other side. "And who is this?"

I placed a firm hand on the back of the stiff Ada pushing her forward slightly.

"Ada's staying with us for a while." My eyes found Max. "Her parents asked me to look after her for a while and I said yes."

His gaze was still surprised and shocked though a look of realization and recognition passed over his face as well. He was just behind Alan now. Alan nodded and I could only guess followed Ada's gaze over his shoulder and turned. Max's face smoothed out just in time as he assumed his own mask and smiled, the consummate businessman. Alan stepped back, missing the change, and gestured to Max.

"Danny I know I already introduced you two, but I'd like you all to meet Max Anders. I was his lawyer in his divorce and after it was over I felt like what he needed most was cookout to help him get back to normal life. Anyways. Max, I'd like to introduce you to Annette, her daughter Taylor, and Ada." He said gesturing at us with his hand. I watched Max walk forward, his eyes the only things still betraying his shock and surprise as he extended his hand to take mine and bent down to deliver a kiss to my knuckles.

The smooth rumbling baritone was like a blast from the past as he spoke. "Thank you Alan but I've met Annette before, though this is my first time meeting Taylor."


	10. Chapter 2-4: Annette Hebert

The party was in full swing and I'd been here for almost an hour. Taylor was over in the pool doing what looked like her level best to drown Sophia and Emma at the same time while parents fretted watched, or just moved out of the splash zone around the in ground pool. Danny was off to the side having been roped into an impromptu by someone who worked in the mayor's office, talking about the possibility of hiring members of the DWU for extra labor on a road project of some kind. Anything to avoid working with another union, so instead they turned to the DWU which would likely charge more than the original workers. Fucking politics.

A glance to the side where Max was waxing eloquent on Medhall's newest charity drive surrounded by a crowd that smelled of money. I didn't doubt that by the time he was done, here in a casual party, his latest charity would be more well funded on top of whatever he was already pledged for himself on top of what I'm sure was a very generous donation by the Anders family and from Medhall at its core. Trust Max to not even let a casual social gathering stop him from making the world into a better place as he saw it.

I couldn't help but smile ever so slightly, not a happy smile if I was looking in a mirror, but instead a smile of nostalgia. Of remembering my childhood when even as a teen Max had already been on the path to greatness. Father and Mother, plus the debate team had turned him into a polished speaker that could engage anyone. And while he couldn't entrance everyone, no one could, he came so very close. Even if you held a differing opinion he'd always had that knack for seeing the wisdom of his words, the sureness of his course that would leave you doubting your own when he was done and gone. How many times had his words nearly shaken her from her path? From Emily?

I turned away walking inside, my empty glass in my hand making a convenient excuse for my departure from the group of wives I'd been politely standing near and listening to. Inside I set the glass on the counter and headed for the bathroom, a turn of the handle finding it locked. Upstairs was probably free but I didn't want to intrude so instead I headed down into the basement.

A quick hurry down the stairs and I was safely in the small bathroom that was for use of Alan's basement den and anyone who might ever use it. Turning on the faucet I proceeded to splash cold water on my face to clear my head, and focus. Leaning on the porcelain of the sink I stared at the woman in the mirror.

"Emily is your family. Family never betrays Family. Emily is your family. Family never betrays Family."

I heard a slight rattle of the doorknob behind me as someone checkered the door. Cutting off a curse I looked over my shoulder and called out.

"I'll be just a minute more."

Sighing I took a towel and dried my face, composing myself with the mirror to make sure I was giving nothing away.

"Don't ever let them see your fear." I whispered to myself and my reflection. "Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death."

A last check to make sure I hadn't ruined my makeup and I turned unlocking the door and stepping out to let whoever was waiting in to use the bathroom. I stopped cold in my tracks seeing Max just idly reclined on the couch watching a college football game with the mute on. He was the only one down here, had he followed me down? His head turned towards me and I saw the focus, the look in his eyes as he stood up. My mind became hung up on the completely unimportant detail of him buttoning his suit jacket as he stood and walked over. He just walked right up to me, arms folding around me and I could feel ice in my veins as he folded me in the warm embrace of a hug.

"God I've missed you."

My teeth were clenched, my fists balled, my knuckles no doubt white as I was tense, a thousand emotions running through my mind all at once. His arms were tight around me, the embrace like a warm blanket wrapped around me, the kind that in the past I had folded into the comfort of. But I didn't, just as I hadn't in years. Finally releasing me he stepped back a happy smile that I knew was genuine and sincere on his face.

"You've finally come back. You don't know how long I've been waiting and hoping you would. I mean I'm doing my best but I need you here with me."

I had to stop him. I had to stop those words as his outpouring of joy continued.

"I'm not."

Two words, well one word and a contraction of two words, the English teacher in me quibbled. Max stopped, his gaze flicking to me. He hesitated a moment before a sigh of resignation.

"Emily."

It was all that needed to be said, all that would be said on the matter, I didn't even reply I just gave a jerk of a nod and he nodded in understanding, but not acceptance.

"I will admit I had hoped..."

He turned walking away, head turned to the silent screen playing the football game for a moment before walking all the way to the couch and sitting back down, and unbuttoning the jacket again, along with a dozen other little movements he probably wasn't even aware of that I noticed in my hyper aware state.

"I suppose that Melody is with you as well as Ada then?"

I nodded and he gave an unhappy nod. My jaw tightened.

"The rules of the ways were followed. Don't you dare think about doing anything to them."

His face twisted into an ugly sneer for a brief moment.

"And why shouldn't I? They have abandoned their duties, their responsibilities. It is my right if not my responsibility and obligation."

His words were soft spoken, there were people upstairs that might hear if he were any louder, but the quietness did nothing to diminish the slowly building fury.

"Because I owed them a debt, and they asked me to be their Liege Lord." I hissed in a whisper

He blinked, anger forgotten and I couldn't resist a short almost hysterical giggle at the sight. How often had I ever caught him off guard when we were young. It was a moment to savor, catching him visibly off guard, unprepared. But I was in no mood for it and I stared him down with a gaze of iron. Understanding softened his features a moment later and with a solemn sigh of acceptance he nodded.

"Then they are yours and they shall suffer no harm by my hand or by my will. Are you planning on taking any others?"

I shook my head to the negative. My plans on such matters had all failed to bear fruit, baring the unforeseen, I would need to look elsewhere. Max seemed to know this judging by my question but he followed the forms we had been taught when were young. He was silent for a moment, silent in thought and in action until his eyes found me yet again, piercing me.

"And what of your daughter?"

The words were like a knife made of ice in my heart and I couldn't resist as I felt cold iron and steel in my hand as my power summoned a small knife for me to bleed him with. I could hear my bloodlust in my mind driving me in this moment, seizing my instincts and my fears as it itched and festered away, with a dryness to my throat I swallowed and, my hand shaking as I realized how close I had come. Max remained cool though his eyes widened slightly at the sight of the knife in my hand that I raised and pointed, the blade shaking ever so slightly from my trembling hand.

"You will not approach her. She is mine and you will obey me in this, by my right as a Mother and as a..."

My words died off, the steel of conviction developing rust as my oath to Emily rammed its way into my mind's forefront of thought. I closed my eyes tightly and I could hear him sigh, the leather of the couch shifting. A moment later the knife was being taken from my hand, I let it, and could hear the blade being set to the side and once more strong arms with the promise of sanctuary and strength wrapped around me as I was torn in all directions by the paths of my life.

"Your life is yours to live. I will not force my choices and my path upon you. But should you ever need me. I will always be here for you. You need only ask. Today, tomorrow, or a hundred years from now."

I could feel soft lips kissing my forehead for a brief moment and a sub of anguish at my position tore from my throat and I was horrified that my emotions were laid bare to him.

"Family does not betray family. And no matter what my come, and what our choices may bring, you will always be my sister. No matter what name you choose to use... Annette..."

Stepping back he grabbed the knife my power had created to kill him with, slipped it into his pocket and proceeded up the stairs out of sight and away leaving me alone in the basement. Shaken to my core by this meeting I couldn't help but do more than walk over to the couch grab a pillow and pressing it as hard into my face to muffle the sound I screamed out my frustrations.

I would linger in the basement for twenty minutes more, unwilling to face the world above and outside until the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs stirred me from my self imposed solitude. I turned looking at the stairs, my makeup no doubt run with tears as Danny stood there a sober and somber expression on his face.

I was silent for a moment before speaking.

"I need to leave. Can you bring the girls home?"

And god bless him he didn't question, or protest, or argue, he just nodded.

"I'll let Alan and the others know you needed to leave. Where will you go?"

A was silent for a moment as I considered my options, but really there was only one option for me, I could taste the iron on my tongue, I could feel the festering itch in my mind. "I think a walk through the docks..."

He was still before a silent nod of understanding was his only response and he turned walking away as well leaving me once again alone. I followed slowly this time, listening and waiting as he politely made up reasons to lure those inside the house out into the backyard with mentions of a toast he would give. When the coast was clear I made my escape towards the front door and the city beyond. This day had shaken and torn me, as my past threatened to tear me asunder. It was time to throw myself into the forge of fire and beat the impurities from the steel of my soul, upon the anvil of battle. Today I would make the ABB bleed and howl as I dared to poke a dragon in the eye all to defeat my own uncertainties.


	11. Interlude: Maximilian Anders

_Original SB's AN: As I've repeatedly posted I intend to flesh out all my characters. Members of the E88 are in no way excluded from this. So I'm just putting this out now. The viewpoints of the characters are not my own. Period. You are going to be getting inside the mind of a white supremacist and a racist. You will be looking at their world, through their eyes. There will be differences from cannon. There will be things that make you hate him and others. There will be things that make you maybe start to like him. With all that said please remember the viewpoints I will be including are not my own. Please don't start a flame war._

* * *

My fingers idly tapped on the kitchen table as I stared at the sheets of paper spread in front of me. My pencil lightly tapped at the paper as I was in thought. Off to the side the TV in the kitchen mounted to the wall was showing the aftermath of what had occurred in the Docks. The sound was off but the captions of the commentary from news reporters was scrolling across the screen. I could see a camera shot showing dozens of the yellow skinned invaders that clung to America's shores like a parasite draining my nation's precious resources. I frowned slightly wishing that Leviathan had perhaps killed a few more of them so less would come here bringing their foreign ways and refusing to do as their kin in centuries before had done and at least help strengthen America with the power of their number and labors while learning to adopt to American culture and life.

I glanced up at it for a moment before my gaze slid around to where Theo was sitting across from me, his text books and homework spread out on the dinning room table. I frowned at the sight of him chewing his pencil. Rapping the varnished wood of the table lightly I caught his attention. A moment later he realized he had been chewing on the pencil being held between his teeth. Pulling it from his mouth he slid it behind his ear. I gave him a slight smile and let him get back to his homework as my own attention returned to the draft of my speech for the upcoming charity dinner and ball I would be hosting on Thursday.

Staring back at the words that vexed and eluded me I sighed.

"Theo, how's your essay coming?"

My son leaned back in his chair and sighed and I knew he was probably doing as well as I. His hand raising to rub at the side of his face.

"It's missing something. I've got all the required parts my teacher wants to see but it doesn't feel right. Its like a computer wrote it. It's technically correct but its all wrong."

I nodded in understanding and in sympathy since it was a feeling close to the one I was feeling right now.

"Let me read this to you and tell me what you think and we'll take a look at what you're doing before I go visit Grandfather."

Theo nodded and leaned back throwing his arms up to interlace his fingers behind his head as he listened to me as I stood and read from the part that was refusing to align to my vision.

"Every year we gather together and have a dinner and toss around our money. At the end of it we all go home feeling better about ourselves. But what do any of us truly know? Our dollars, our checks help certainly. But how many of the people in this room can say that they understand what it is like to be one of the people who has directly benefited from this money. How many of us can say that we have ever even met a Simurgh victim after their exposure? We haven't because many of us simply can't. It has become government policy to lock away those affected and treat the cities affected as worse than the leper colonies of centuries past. And despite that we now live in an age of marvels, surrounded with god like beings we cast away those who desperately need help."

"This is why I am refusing to simply just throw money at the problem. I refuse to abandon mankind to the Simurgh. I refuse to give in to fear. This is why I am supporting Senator Rollins whom you will all be listening to in a few minutes. The senator has remembered his duty is to serve all his constituents, even the ones who are locked behind the walls of a Containment Zone. This is why I am donating my entire yearly salary in addition to a five million dollar donation to the Restoration Initiative, to be dispersed to scientists and doctors, even to parahumans they work with that are working to find a way to undo the work of the Simurgh and other Master parahumans. And this is why Medhall will be supplying all drugs that the Restoration Initiative requires, at cost."

"Medhall, myself, and my family stand ready to assist and aid humanity, all humanity. We will not stand by as a feathered demon drives us with fear into submission. We will do everything instead to fight back, to reclaim what has been taken from us by that foul monster that has tainted and befouled so many of humanity's greatest minds and innocents."

I looked up finishing the segment to look at Theo as he sat there silently watching me. A moment later he frowned slightly clearly in thought, weighing the words I had already crafted. I was grateful that my son and I had this relationship, that even as teenage hormones and a lust for independence were beginning to affect his behavior as all young men did at that age, he held to the things I had taught him. His work ethic, his focus were not wavered, and the little things like how every night I was home I would sat at this table with him for an hour and he would do homework and I my own work, so that if he had a question I could help him grown and learn.

Not many years were left before Theo would be off to college and beyond, and this simple time of a simple father and son were one I had learned to treasure because I knew how rare it might be in other cases, from my own childhood with my father. I turned my thoughts and my attention fully back to Theo to listen as he spoke.

"You've already spent a few minutes talking about the Simurgh's effects right?" I gave a nod in confirmation and he continued. "Then drop the first part. You aren't the only speaker at the dinner and everyone knows about the Simurgh. It's impossible not to. People don't need to be reminded of the horror it she brings. What they need is hope. So focus on what the Initiative is intended for. Push hope, over and over until its repeated so many times in their mind that they start to believe it might be possible. Because lets be honest here dad. You and the docs aren't the first people to try and undo her effect. Lots of capes and plenty of doctors have tried and failed and some have ended up as one of her bombs causing the very damage they tried to stop."

"Everyone knows what she can do, so instead you need to not let them think about it. Push the hope, make them see the possibility. As long as they think its impossible they will wonder why they should even donate to an impossible cause. But if you can make them believe even just a little that it is possible. That hope is possible. That a cure can potentially be found. Everything will be easier from there. Hope is simply one of the most powerful forces there is. And the Simurgh has very effectively killed it everywhere she goes. So you need to stand and fight her at her own game if you want to win."

I thought about it for a moment and then smiled at Theo.

"You're right. Listening to you I can see it. I can even see that knowledge of what she is, infecting my own speech even as I'm trying to rally people and resources against her. I've been alive long enough to remember the news every time she has attacked, and seen the effects of her scream over and over and over. You're right Theo. Good job."

I took a quick minute to rip up the piece of paper I was writing on and grabbed a blank one and just wrote a single word. 'Hope' Underlined twice and circled before I stood and walked around the dining table and pulled out another table to sit next to Theo.

"Now why don't you show me what you've written and see how we can make it better."

The normal hour we would spend together would turn into almost two hours as I helped Theo with his homework. Before I knew it, it was almost ten o'clock and Theo was yawning and I was giving him a kiss on the forehead for goodnight before making my way to my office. Pulling out a cell phone I opened the contact list and selected a specific one before pressing the call button. The phone rang twice before it would be answered and I immediately began to speak. "What's the report on the damage in the docks?"

On the other end of the phone I could hear a rustle of paper as Victor worked. "According to the BBPD and emergency services they think that three drug dens and a brothel were hit, over seven dead with close to sixty with injuries of varying levels. And that was all before Lung managed to get on scene. Property damage is close to a hundred million and the PRT is reporting that after Joan Arc fled, Division was injured fighting Lung and will be on medical leave while he recovers probably at least a week if not closer to a month before he gets full functionality if the rumors and BS on PHO are anything to go by. Look Sir, are you sure you don't want us to take out Joan Arc? The woman's a loose cannon. I don't care if Hirsent is with her or not. She's poking Lung and that's only going to piss him off and need to retaliate to prove his strength. Just give me the order and I can have her dead within a few days. She doesn't seem to be waiting more than a few days. Give me a tinkertech rifle and I can have her dead and disposed of within a month and we can get this peace back to normal."

I took a moment to take a deep breath and calm myself. Lest I do something rash at Victor's words.

"You will not. Joan Arc is not to be touched or approached. Hirsent is not to be touched or approached. I don't care. If they come to us, let me know. But until I say otherwise no one does anything. Oh and Victor? I'll let this one go, but if you ever threaten a member of my family again, I will kill you myself."

The silence was deafening on the phone for a moment as the wheels in my subordinate's head turned. Finally after a few moments he spoke again.

"Joan Arc is Iron Rain?"

His voice was quiet with surprise as he spoke and I nodded in confirmation even though over a phone call, he would never see it.

"She is. Just as Hirsent is my niece. They are not to be approached. They are not to be threatened. They are not to be harmed. This is my order and will and you will obey. Now. Regarding the docks. Get the PR team to contact the Mayor's office and let Christener know that Medhall stands ready to provide any aid after the attack that is needed. Also lean on the insurance companies. The longer the rubble of that shithole remains un-built, the longer the parasites that call it home will cling to Lung strengthening him. We need to get ahead of the ABB. Now unless there is anything else I'm late for a meeting with my father."

Pressing the end call button I put the phone back in my desk drawer and made my way out of my office. It took me a minute to get over to the wing of my home that my father lived in. Opening the door to the library I could see my father in his wheel chair while Nessa stood beside him pouring him a cup of tea. As soon as the door of the library closed behind me I could hear my father's voice call out.

"You're late!"

I continued walking forward even as Nessa stepped back and walked away to give us a bit of privacy.

"I know father, today has been complicated."

He scoffed even as he turned his wheelchair and looked up at me. "No shit. Regardless you're here. Tell me what the goddamn hell has got the city so riled up that that parasite of a lizard came out of his hole."

I nodded and took a comfortable stance as I knew this would be a long conversation.

"He was provoked by attacks on three of his drug houses and one prostitution front all by the same person. In addition seven of his people are dead... Father... it was my sister that provoked him."

Old but still firm and cold blue eyes looked up at me in the dim light of the library. "And is she coming back?"

I shook my head.

"She isn't. But there might still be hope. Her daughter Taylor is I believe, Hirsent."

In the darkness Richard Anders was silent for a long moment before he spoke again questioning me.

"And is she like her mother?"

I was silent for a moment going over the reports I'd pulled on what was known of the cape known as Hirsent as well as remembering the conversation I'd had with Hookwolf and Stormtiger.

"I believe she is..."

My father leaned back slightly and smiled.

"Good. You've done as best you could, but its clear that the burden will fall to your son and young Taylor. Have a seat, I'll call Nessa for more tea. We have much to discuss."


	12. Chapter 3-1: Miss Militia

I had just finished filling the coffee mug with coffee when I heard the door open. Turning my head to look over my shoulder I frowned as I watched Division walk in the door, limping slightly, with a healing stimulus pack tapped to the side of his neck over the burns still covering the entire right side of his head and neck, and I knew from the report, much of his upper torso and right arm as well. I frowned even as I grabbed a second mug for coffee and silently filled. I could hear him take a seat at the conference table with an audible groan as I turned around and walked around the table with the mugs and set one down on the table. Rather than just let him have it I kept my hand resting on the handle and leaned on the side of the table.

"Eric? What the hell are you doing out of the medbay? It's barely been seventy-two hours since you got burned alive by Lung, and I know for a fact that you weren't supposed to be out until at least a week was up on account of this."

I poked the tinkertech device that was pumping him with low grade regenerates. He of course hissed because while the flesh closest to the pack was starting to get back to normal, I knew from personal experience that the process was anything but comfortable. At my side the holster shifted from my customary Beretta 92 to a tranq gun.

"So should I just tranq your ass and call security or are you going to give me an explanation?"

The brunette, well tanned man attired in one of the bodysuits he wore when not in armor, sighed even as he eyed the coffee cup still in my grip for a moment.

"Look I may not be rated for field work but I can man the Console just fine in my current state. Or do you really think we can afford to be light on who we can field when Lung's in a mood?"

I stared at him for a moment before releasing the cup. On my hip the tranq gun shifted back to its usual Beretta shape and I walked down the table to my chair and took a seat even as I leaned back in the chair and kicked my boots up on the table.

"You are damn lucky that Lung hasn't settled down. If I get even a hint that you're trying to do more than that I will follow through."

It was just as he was giving a nod in agreement and taking a sip from his mug that in walked some of the others, all likely getting in early enough to get a cup of coffee for themselves before the start of the meeting. I glanced at my phone for a moment. Two minutes. Director Calvert would be here in one, Armsmaster would be here ten seconds for the start, and Glenn fucking Chambers would probably be his usual 1-3 minutes late. I nodded to each of my fellow Heroes as they entered, greeted me, and made a cup of Joe. A few seconds before the Director would enter Ferros was settling in to my right beside me as Battery did the same as well on his other side. Spectrum was already seated to my left working on one of her schematics like always. I flipped a page of the stack of paperwork I'd brought with me as I heard Ent's usual behavior start up.

"Div, I just gotta say I always knew you were good at splitting people up, but I didn't think I'd ever see you burn just one side of you just as cleanly."

I could hear Battery as well as some of the others groan as our resident Case 53's humor just feel flat, not that he would ever let that stop him. The man who's body was basically summed up as a walking, talking, and if needed, murdering, tree, was incorrigible. Good jokes, bad jokes, jokes that didn't make sense at all. Nothing stopped him and he told them all. His voice, as deep and as slow as always as he'd turned his wooden head towards me got my attention by speaking directly at me. I looked up at him from my work. With my attention gotten Ent continued to speak.

"So Boss. Any thoughts on a game plan? I mean the last plan may have fallen flat on its face when Division decided to see if he had a preference between bloody and burnt steaks, and used himself as a gauge, but until that happened I gotta say it was actually working pretty well for dealing with Lung all ramped up after Joan Arc fled leaving us hanging with the bill."

I shrugged. It was a valid question, and it was good to see that our newest transfer in had proven that the planning behind his presence had merit. Still I did want to have a better plan in place the next time we sent him at Lung, one that preferably didn't have him doing a decent imitation of a well done steak. My musings were interrupted when Director Calvert walked in and like the rest of us made a beeline for the coffee machine that was a permanent fixture in the conference room. I glanced and yep, two seats empty still. Glen and Colin. I sighed as things clearly would never change. I turned looking to the Director as he made his way back to the seat at the head of the table, coffee cup in hand.

"Mr. Chambers left twenty minutes ago for Seattle. There's been a rather public and extreme Trigger and his presence for the media shitstorm was requested. As soon as Armsmaster gets here we will start."

I could see his eyes lingering for a moment on Division who was still seated across from me but the Director said nothing. I gave a nod and returned my attention back to the paperwork in front of me as the thin Director seated at the head of the table sipped his coffee and all around me were the others. My eyes ran over each of them. Battery, Challenger, Dauntless, Division, Ferros, Ent, Magnus, Spectrum, and Velocity. With the exception of the still absent Armsmaster we were all here. And then exactly at the same time before the start in walked my head Tinker who unlike the rest of us who were wearing general bodysuits, was in one of his armored suits, with helmet on. I just knew that not only would he be recording and taking notes via his helmet, the workaholic would be working on designs at the same time. Shaking my head turned to look to the Director. Calvert nodded and pressed a button which sealed off the conference room not only with security doors and shutters, but also activated tinkertech jamming devices that would block out anything that wasn't a priority message from the PRT or Protectorate.

"Alright. I can see we are all here, including Division who should know better. Regardless, lets begin. As you all know three days ago on Saturday evening Lung was provoked into emerging by the Villain Joan Arc after she attacked and destroyed what has now been confirmed as ABB financial operations including three drug houses and a brothel. In addition she is reported to have briefly engaged Lung in a fight before withdrawing after putting a spear clan through his hand into the street pinning him temporarily in place while Division, Challenger, Armsmaster, and Battery were on approach with PRT forces. While it would have been better if Lung were not provoked at all it is good to see that our theories about Division being able to effectively handle him are almost worth the loss of life and property damage that this information cost us. Miss Militia, while Lung will no doubt be more careful in future engagements to prevent Division from getting close, I would like you to train your team on effectively employing his power in combat and getting him into position to use his ability on Lung himself again. Maybe next time we can have a better result with more preparation on his part."

I gave a nod and looked to Magnus who was along with Battery, the primary two heroes of my team that worked with the Wards that were brought into the city for training. I idly noted that the class size this round was a bit bigger and I was going to have to assign more of my team to looking after and working with the Ward trainees especially with a gang war looming in the near future. I sipped the coffee in my mug as Magnus gave an update on the progress. My hand idly jotting down relevant notes that I could review later as needed. Most of the others were doing the same as well which I approved of since any of them could and were called on to work with the Ward groups on top of all our duties in Brockton Bay and the surrounding region assigned to the Protectorate ENE.

"Focusing on individual Wards of note I think it goes without saying that we have a few candidates that are definitely worth keeping a close eye on for a variety of reasons. Vista continues to be highly effective although her age prevents us from putting her anywhere near combat regardless of how useful she could be in combat. Between Glenn's refusal to put her in more than tinkercloth armor for the moment as part of the ongoing PR issues of putting a child not even yet a teen, in anything even remotely resembling actual armor. There was also as well the Youth Guard, all combining for one very obvious result. One of our most potent Ward members remains sitting largely on the bench, something she isn't appreciating in the least. I know it is atypical of usual behavior but if we're being honest Vista already has as much experience as many of our older Wards. I'd like to try and head off disgruntlement by having her being put in the part of a training cadre or I'm worried we could see a good deal of resentment and issues building in the future."

I could see the wisdom of Magnus's estimates of the young girl. In truth Vista was very good, extremely so for her age when most kids were far too emotional and willful. Whether it was her powers or her home situation, Vista had a maturity that was useful to see but frankly worrying. Sighing I nodded. "I think it might be a good idea but for now all I can say is that I'll take it under advisement and kick it upstairs to some of the Thinkers in New York. See if they think its a good idea or if we're playing with a hand grenade without a pin."

Magnus nodded knowing that was the most he would get out of me at the moment. "Beyond that there are a few other notable Wards to watch, but the one I think that warrants concern beyond the typical issues is Glory Girl. I've seen some of the psychological reports our Doctors have shown us and I'm worried that prolonged time in the Bay could be detrimental. Her family was killed here, by Marquis. Glory Girl is willful, driven, and focused. I'm getting a little bit of voiced concern from Wards being paired with her on patrols and in training exercises that have me concerned about the restraint she is showing. As an Alexandria package she can do a lot of damage even with the inherent weaknesses of her powers. To be honest I know we wanted her here as a home town hero for PR purposes, but I'd rather see her transferred to one of the other Ward teams once she finishes this training. Sooner or later Marquis is going to come out of public and I have reservations about how she will react."

I was nodding as I flipped through some of the abbreviated notes on the Ward in question and I could see his concern. However before I could speak, the Director spoke up instead, which had a number of us looking up in surprise given how hands off he tended to be when it came to handling the Wards.

"We will keep an eye on her of course but I believe Glory Girl is best suited to be in the Bay. While potentially problematic, she makes an excellent symbol. Since the Brigade, Hero teams have either been killed or run off. The Protectorate currently remains the only successful team to remain in the Bay in the ten years since Marquis killed the Brigade. As the wards cannot be counted in terms of cape battles, we are quite simply outnumbered by almost four to one in terms of villains against heroes. With the exception of a small number of rogues and vigilantes, every cape in the Bay can be treated as hostile and a danger to the public to varying degrees. We need to change that, and I believe that having the new generation of the Brigade here, even as a part of the Wards, will help to turn the tide and perhaps be what a Hero team needs to stand and fight back in the Bay."

After a moment I nodded. In truth the numbers were worse than one to four and were closer to one to five by the time you considered that some like Spectrum had almost no ability for combat. Others like Magnus and Battery were tied up full time with the Wards. Armsmaster was almost as bad given how much of his time was spent working with the Tinker Wards that came through. I was lucky if I could field more than six members of my team outside of full city wide emergencies. So if the Director's plan could draw in hero teams then having the risk of Victoria Dallon remain in the bay would have to be something I kept an eye on. My gaze and attention flicked to Armsmaster as he started delivering a report and update on the current status of Tinker projects the Wards were working on, as well as the current state of equipment for the Ward teams, as well as what recommendations he had to make. I settled in for more and drained my cup of coffee.


	13. Chapter 3-2: Miss Militia

My hands went through the methodical process of pulling on my DragonTech bodysuit that I wore beneath the iconic military fatigues of my costume. My movements were methodical, my mind away from the monotonous task of gearing up for the evening. Once the bodysuit that covered me from feet, to neck and wrists, was fully properly on me, I pulled on the tinkertech ballistic vest I wore over it. Despite the high tech nature of the armor I wore beneath my outfit, I secured it in place with old fashioned velcro straps. A personal choice of mine that had resulted in the Canadian Tinker who designed it picking my brain for an hour and a half over my choices, getting my input on the design functions.

Next I reached for the combat gas mask I wore over the entire lower half of my face. Strapping it into place, the mask deployed the camouflaging American flag bandana haptic display, that always covered the entire lower half of my face, and also hid the gas mask entirely.

I grabbed the military camo pants and jacket and quickly pulled each on, followed by my boots. The final step was to reach into my locker for the contact lenses case. I carefully applied each contact into place. A quick double blink after it was done activated the contacts and the contacts began to display data being relayed from the micro-computer located in my armored vest.

A sigh and I pulled my belt and holster back on and the green Beretta of my power's projection was in the holster as I walked out of the woman's locker room. In the hallway outside Velocity was already waiting, leaning against the hallway wall, the speedster waiting on me and Ent no doubt. I tapped the commnicator in my ear.

"Testing. Console mic check, one two, repeat mic check, one two."

There was silence for a moment before I could hear the feminine and vaguely Irish sounding voice of Spectrum respond.

"Console reads you Miss Militia, confirm two one, repeat confirm two one."

I nodded as Velocity watched me. I shifted to the wall beside him and settled in to wait. Touching my ear comlink I spoke to Spectrum again.

"Spectrum can you confirm for me that Division is where he should be in the med bay and not pulling some stupid stunt like trying to go out on his patrol?"

There was silence for a moment as our eyes in the sky was no doubt at work checking on my question's answer. Finally Spectrum's voice came through.

"Medbay just logged him in half an hour ago. I can check in if you want to make sure he's still there."

I legitimately thought about it for a second before I shook my head.

"No. Leave them be. Just let me know if they report him trying to sneak out."

My foot had started tapping slightly impatiently when I hadn't realized it while Velocity and I waited. Finally I spotted Magnus emerging from the men's locker room. Admittedly to be fair, Magnus's power armor was far more elaborate and took a longer period of time to put on than my own bodysuit and ballistic vest. And he didn't have Velocity's super speed to aid in putting his outfit on faster. I looked up at the man, eyeing his salt and pepper beard for a moment as my eyes roamed down his armor, my contact lenses displaying status reads that were showing his armor's status effects as optimal. Nodding I turned and lead the way down the hallway, Velocity and Magnus falling in behind me.

We quickly made our way to the Rig's parking garage where Magnus got into one of the PRT transport vehicles capable of transporting capes with combat rated power armor such as Magnus, Challenger, and Armsmaster. I made my way over to my motorcycle which automatically started up at my approach while Velocity flipped me a jaunty two fingered salute as he called out to me from the entrance.

"I'm going to go on ahead and make sure the Wards will be ready by the time you two get there."

I had barely started to nod when the speedster was gone in a blur of red as I was reaching for my helmet and pulling it on. I mounted my bike as the parking garage's security door finished opening the rest of the way. A twist of the throttle and I was off, quickly outside and riding down the forcebridge headed towards the City rising ahead of me, while behind me the van bringing Magnus followed.

It took a few minutes just as it always did since I hadn't really opened up on the throttle and was just enjoying the ride. We hit the Ferry Station and the bridge disappeared behind us. I could hear Rig Traffic Control over the radio.

"The gatehouse is closed. Good luck Ms. Militia."

Taking a turn at an intersection I continued riding through the streets heading towards the PRT Headquarters downtown. It was already dark out and I could see a few of the Marche's Enforcers moving up and down the streets of the Boardwalk and Downtown streets. The BBPD Frequency hadn't activated asking for Protectorate or PRT support yet so any crimes they were responding to were so far unpowered in nature.

I kept my speed slow enough that Magnus's transport didn't have any issues keeping up with me. We eventually made it to the fortress like building of the PRT Headquarters. I made my way into the parking garage as Magnus's transport did the same. A section barred by a security door provided parking for my bike so it couldn't easily be accessed allowed me to park and leave it without worry before heading inside the building proper.

Inside I found Velocity and the Wards waiting for us in a meeting room just off the entry lobby. Even despite the late hour there was a small crowd of tourists standing on the outside of the clear glass walls, taking pictures of the adult hero and four Wards sitting at the table. Luckily they were so fixated on the people within the room that they didn't notice me until right before I was walking into the same conference room myself.

As the flashing of the camera phones pointed towards me now I looked over the group of Wards that would be joining the patrol tonight as part of their training. Glory Girl sat down at the end a neutral expression on the face that was partially hidden by the half-helm she wore that one of Glenn's team had designed in the style of a medieval crown affixed to a helmet. Because of the weaknesses that testing had exposed in her powers, she had been rated for armor though as with most ward costumes, it was more fashion than function atleast in appearance. Given that she was still only a teenager, the armor she wore was conservative in what it covered. With a metal half-helm that had a silver tiara affixed to the top, she wore fantasy style armor. It wasn't like she had any trouble carrying the weight given her flight capabilities and strength.

Opposite of her was Hyperion, a Blaster who like Purity absorbed sunlight to generate ranged beams. Unfortunately he lacked the power as well as the flight capabilities of the Empire cape. As always he wore the orange and yellow outfit that provided him with some degree of armor.

The oldest Ward trainee present was Vigilance, a low grade combat thinker Noctis cape. He was just a few months from graduating to the Protectorate but had only just triggered so we were putting him through the training program the same as everyone else.

Finally we had our final Ward present was Ruse. Ruse was a second time attendee problem child. A low power Stranger who had been sent back for a second time. The kid could create short lived visual illusions. Unfortunately he had a documented history of using his abilities on civilians and his fellow Heroes in 'pranks' as he termed them, and bullying as everyone else saw it.

I knew I would need to keep my eye on Ruse. Luckily testing had proven that something as simple as our contact lenses could break his ability to use Illusions on me, thank goodness for small mercies. Still I would need to keep an eye on him the full time.

They were all looking at me, though Velocity was keeping his eye on the Wards as I spoke.

"Alright. This will be your first patrol. All of you will do several alongside myself and other Heroes. Eventually you will patrol with your fellow Wards but before you can do so you need to learn the correct way to patrol."

"Tonight we will head briefly through Marche territory before swinging towards the Docks and patrolling along ABB territory. We may encounter crime. We may encounter other Parahumans. Throughout the entirety of tonight you will listen to any order Magnus, Velocity, or myself gives you. If we say not to engage, you don't engage. If we tell you to pull back. You will pull back. There will be no arguments or discussion about this. Is this understood?"

I saw nods from every Ward almost immediately, and when Ruse realized that the illusion he'd no doubt just tried to use on me, hadn't worked, he also nodded with a frown. I watched him silently for a moment but a glance at Magnus told me the issue would be addressed.

"Because only Velocity and Glory Girl have mover ratings, we will proceed together on foot for the patrol. I hope you have all been taking yourselves seriously during training sessions, Cardio could quite possibly be one of the most important skills you pick up there even if it doesn't seem it."

With that I turned and walked out the door as the Wards rose from their seats and followed me out in a staggered single file line while the tourists were still taking pictures. Hopefully they would be drawn to the Gift Shop and not turn into a wandering swarm of locust that would follow them out into the night.

Mercy struck when a young child asked for a new poster of Magnus for her room prompting a Great Migration for which I was eternally grateful. I was able to get outside with my teammates and my charges and I looked around making sure we didn't have immediate trouble. Seeing nothing I looked to the Wards.

"Velocity will be on scouting duty and will move separate. I want each of you to pick another Ward. No matter what happens you stay together. Keep in Radio Contact and don't fill up the frequency with unnecessary chatter."

If all was good the kids would have two boring hours of patrol in which nothing happened and we would drop them off, hopefully a little wiser for the experience. They each paired up. Glory with Vigilance, Hyperion with Ruse. Magnus lead at the front, I pulled up the rear, and the kids moved together in pairs between us.

Half an hour passed as we made our way through the darkness of the city. We passed a group of Marquis' enforcers early on but they passed us by on the opposite side of the street. Given these were the licensed ones employed by shops on the Boardwalk and in Downtown that paid protection to Marquis, we did nothing.

I kept an eye on Glory Girl but clearly the goons weren't going to be an issue. She just floated a few inches off the ground like she always seemed to when in costume, and otherwise proved no issue.

As we were reaching the edge of Marquis' territory Velocity who hadn't come back to the main group, called to us through the Radio.

"Group of Marche muscle, not Enforcers, and Hirsent are two blocks ahead. Want me to watch them while you route around?"

I thought about it. Hirsent was mostly an unknown, with the exception of hitting her with Containment Foam, I doubted any of us present, Wards included, would be able to take her down permanently. Still Marquis' people had a reputation, and the few times he'd contracted Parahumans to work for him in the past they'd always held themselves to a certain standard of conduct. Deciding that a civil encounter with a villainous parahuman would be good for their training I gave approval.

"Let Console know but we'll stay on course, keep watch and let me know if we can expect any other trouble."

Velocity's confirmation came back and I let Magnus know over another private com channel. Then I addressed the Wards.

"Everyone listen up. In a few minutes we're going to meet a Marche patrol. These guys aren't the Boardwalk's enforcers. They will have a Cape with them so I want everyone to be careful. You all are going to hang back and let Magnus and I deal with them. Do not do anything not on my signal."

After half an hour of essentially nothing in activity that perked each of the kids right up. They started looking ahead and I verbally corrected them.

"They aren't here yet. Regardless. What little we know of Hirsent is that none of us can do anything to her that will stick apart from possibly covering her in containment foam. So as I said I want you all to hang back and just observe."

As much as I wanted to keep an eye on the Wards from the back, I knew it would be best if Magnus and I stayed in between them and the pit fighter with a body count.

One block of silence later and five figures came around a corner and stopped. Four grown men wearing suits and domino masks were typical for Marche muscle. The suits may seem stupid but like me I knew they wore vests underneath and we're likely armed. The fabric was tinkertech too. Marquis was a strict boss but he equipped his people well.

It was the masked figure standing in their midst that drew my gaze. Like our videos of her showed Hirsent was probably a teenager. Long black hair hung out the back of a full black mask covering all of her face even her eyes. Only the white skull painted on the front stood out.

The rest of her outfit seemed fairly conventional and barely like a costume at all. I didn't get much of a chance to study her much. My contact lenses didn't reveal any tinkertech on her. Either it was hidden or she wasn't carrying it. She wasn't even carrying a weapon though that was hardly a surprise for the Brute/Changer.

"Ms. Militia, Good Evening..."

One of the masked goons, one that from voice I had taken to calling 'Larry' in the past, spoke. I gave a nod. An eye twitch to the side activated a video recording to start with my contact lenses.

"Good evening gentleman. We are just passing through on patrol."

I didn't mention that so long as they didn't comit any crimes in front of us we would let them pass. Our relationship with Marquis as always left a bad taste in my mouth, but I knew that we couldn't risk a war with a peaceful villain when civilian lives were in the balance. I glanced at Hirsent.

"Hirsent would you mind speaking with us briefly?"

It would be important to know just how long the pit fighter and her partner were likely to be in the city. It was as Hirsent was stepping forward that I heard Velocity speak over the radio. "Militia watch out Oni Lee is..."

It was as far as he would get before the ABB's second cape appeared in the air right in front of the teen villain. I pushed Ruse behind me with my left hand on instinct even as I could see a grenade in the assassin's hand. My power put a shotgun loaded with buckshot in my hands just as Hirsent's bone claws pierced the suicide bomber that was already falling into ash, but the grenade had already fallen from his hand.

And then the grenade exploded right at the feet of the teen villain and the Marquis' muscle.


	14. Chapter 3-3: Miss Militia

I threw myself to the ground, covering my Ward as the grenade went off. Even though we were outside the grenade's kill radius, I wasn't about to just take chances. I could feel shrapnel impacting with my body but I didn't feel any sharp pains from a puncture. It seemed my bodysuit was holding, for now. Pushing myself up I hissed a quick order to Ruse between clenched teeth as my eyes were scanning the smoke filled scene, taking in the mangled meat that had been Marquis's muscle and hired cape. For the moment of Oni Lee was nowhere near in sight.

"Ruse, Stay down!"

My head turned taking in everyone else. Magnus with his armor hadn't gone for cover and Velocity hadn't been close enough. Glory Girl was standing in the open but given her ability I wasn't surprised. Vigilance was behind Magnus safe. My eyes scanned and found Hyperion. As soon as my eyes found him I felt another jolt of adrenaline as I could see blood running from where his hand was pressed to his neck.

"Shit! Velocity! Magnus! Hyperion was hit. Keep a watch for Lee while I patch him up."

Scrambling back the few feet to Hyperion, my hands were already pulling an injector from one of my belt pouches. Yanking the cap off with my teeth I jabbed it into his neck right above the wound. Pressing my hand over his to keep the pressure I checked him. My contacts were helpful as it seemed that the only wound while potentially lethal, had been a million in one piece of shrapnel given how far away he'd been. He hadn't been hit anywhere else and with the tinkertech drugs now in his body, he would likely make a full recovery.

My head whirled around as a dozen store fronts down three stores exploded in rapid succession one after another. Velocity zipped by, a red blur investigating the explosions.

"Oni Lee is blowing up store fronts."

Velocity's voice came over my radio thanks to a clever program courtesy of Dragon who'd come up with a system that allowed him to transmit at normal speed, but played the audio at ordinary speed for everyone else with only a minimal delay. Handy since before that program, Velocity would have to reduce to lower speeds he would be in danger at, or remove himself from a location to be able to just use a radio functionally.

Hearing a groan in between explosions my head turned to look at the butcher's pile that worked for the Marquis. An arm with a pair of bone claws emerging from it was raised up. The girl's arm, for that could only be Hirsent, was torn to shreds, muscle hanging freely and it was a wonder she was even able to lift her arm. But if I thought her arm was bad, when she dragged herself up out of the pile of corpses, the rest of her body was worse. The explosion had just turned her into meat, her body completely hanging in shreds. Her organs hanging out of her body, her ribs bare to my eyes in spots. The only thing of her that didn't seemed damaged was her mask. Clearly the blood running down her neck from beneath it showed that she hadn't been without injury there.

I had seen war at a young age. Forced to walk amidst minefields in search of safe paths for the junta that had owned my life. This girl was like those I had seen long before, but was somehow not dead as she pulled herself from amidst the mutilated corpses, arm by arm, dragging herself across the ground, pieces of her body dragging behind her.

My head turned back to look at Hyperion. Pulling his hand away for a brief moment I quickly began to wrap a bandage around his neck. Through it all I could see his eyes starring at the girl dragging her mangled body down the street.

"What the bloody fucking hell...?!"

I didn't correct him on his language. The sight of Hirsent, quite simply refusing to die, and dragging herself towards where Oni Lee was blowing up stores one by one, was something no Ward could be expected to be prepared for. When I glanced for a moment over my shoulder I was more than a little surprised to see that Hirsent was up off her arms and was now crawling forward on all fours, trying to push herself to her feet as her body just healed itself right there in front of our eyes.

I had seen healing self-regeneration before but the level that Hirsent was displaying... Clearly the Brute 4 rating she'd been given as a preliminary rating wasn't sufficient. Brute 6 for certain given how I could see in brief seconds, muscle knitting itself back together. She'd cut her own organs that had been dragging behind her at some point. My attention glanced to my Wards for a moment before I looked back at Hyperion finishing off his care for now. Bandages wrapped around his neck I pressed his hand back over the wound.

"Keep pressure on it. Magnus already informed the Rig and Saint Augustine's."

Saint Augustine's was a private hospital that received all Protectorate and Ward injuries. It actually kept a few capes on its staff and specialized in cape medicine. No one advertised it but it was actually funded and put in place by a collaboration effort between Allfather and Marquis years ago as a neutral hospital that openly treated capes that could pay. Two decades into business it had survived the Nine, the Teeth, and everything else that had come into town. It had its own Parahuman security that was permanently on the payroll and was a strict neutral ground between capes enforced of course by their Cape security, but also by the Empire and the Marche. The ABB didn't have the same need for the place but Lung had never considered it worth his time to provoke full open war between the alliance of agreement between the other major powers of the city.

But the details of the city's cape neutral hospital wasn't something I was focusing on as another storefront exploded and I could hear Hirsent letting out a scream of rage. Oh... That was why he'd done it. Oni Lee or more likely Lung in ordering Oni Lee had done their homework. They knew they couldn't put Hirsent down. If she could survive Leviathan, Lung himself might not be able to kill her. So they hadn't bothered. Instead they'd just taken her out of commission temporarily along with the rest of Marquis's patrol, rendering them incapable of interfering while Oni Lee blew up business after business that paid protection to Marquis. As I raised my hands my power shifted and an automatic rifle came into my hands. I flicked the switch on the side from automatic fire, to burst fire and put three bullets into Oni Lee before he could blow up his next target. He of course collapsed into ash as Hirsent began running down the street towards him a guttural roar echoing from his throat.

My rifle slid to the side and fired a burst at Lee when he appeared behind Hirsent. Somehow she knew he was there and was already whirling claws swinging in to disembowel the assassin who was cutting with his knife at her limbs before falling into ash. Lee teleported in rapid bursts moving around Hirsent. He quickly fell to her claws which were always lethal strikes, but not before his knife sliced her muscles, crippling her, at least momentarily. When she fell to a knee unable to keep up with a suicide assassin he disappeared away and another storefront farther down exploded a moment later.

This was never about hurting Hirsent. This was a message for Marquis himself. Hirsent's partner Joan Arc had been striking at the ABB's financial businesses, illegal or otherwise. Lee was only delivering Lung's response back to Marquis three fold.

When more than a dozen businesses along the thoroughfare were burning he appeared a final time on a building a good deal away. The only reason I even knew he was there was because Velocity informed me, and my contacts allowed me to pick him out against the darkness. And then he vanished and I was left in the street watching as Hirsent howled her rage for the city to hear. Her sliced muscles had already healed, she started moving in the direction I'd last seen him when I'd shouted out.

"Hirsent!"

She whirled on me, and I could see even at that distance, that her claws were beginning to have a metallic look that was reflecting the burning flames coming from the building. With the explosions finally ended I could hear the Fire Departments and BBPD sirens coming to respond to the hit and run battle. I could see her shoulders heaving as she was no doubt breathing heavily or panting. I began walking towards her, ignoring the spoken words Magnus sent to me over the radio. In my hands my power shifted my assault rifle to a much bulkier grenade launcher.

"You are coming down to Headquarters with me. I have questions and you are going to answer them."

As I was getting closer I could hear her chuckling.

"Really? You're actually going to try bringing me in after what that fucking bastard just did? Fuck no. I'm going after Lee. You can either stay out of my way, or you can get to see if you will keep fighting as well as he did when my claws are buried in your belly."

I was silent for a moment. Thoughts going back and forth in my head as I weighed my options. It was as she was turning away from me to pursue Lee that I made my mind and pulled a tinkertech grenade from one of my belt pockets that were specifically made to hold the tinkertech confoam grenades that my power could fire with a conventional grenade launcher. After sliding the grenade projectile into the tube I raised my weapon. A pull of the trigger later and Hirsent whirled almost instantly at the sound, but couldn't get out of the way in time for my confoam grenade to ensnare her feet. She tried slashing at the foam with her claws only for them to be caught as well. Stupid, but I suppose she was young. She'd learn from this experience and I doubt she would be as easily caught in the future. I pulled the grenades from my belt pouches, to fire again three more times fully foaming her. I couldn't see through her mask but I had no doubt that my act had earned her hatred.

But I was going to bring her in. Like regular police I could hold her for twenty-four hours without charging her. I was sure that in that time my people and the PRT would be able to dig up something we could charge her with that would be a big enough threat to put her away somewhere for a long enough time to make her play ball, or at the very least keep her off the streets long enough for her to cool down. Marquis would probably be slightly pissed but that was okay. I played by his rules most of the time. But at the end of the day he was a criminal and we were the law. It was time to remind him that he needed to play by our rules just as much as he made us play by his.

Turning my eyes roamed over my team and my Wards as I activated the radio.

"Console I need a Brute rated containment van. I foamed Hirsent and am bringing her into custody. I have bodies here and Hyperion is wounded. Let Saint Augustine's know they have an incoming patient, normal parahuman procedures. Also let BBFD know we have multiple cases of arson thanks to Lee, they're going to need plenty of people to get these fires under control."

And then with a sigh I turned and started walking back towards where Velocity and Magnus were standing with the wards. The patrol for the kids was shot, I'd send the Wards back to PRT Headquarters. But once that was done I had a city to patrol. Because at the end of the day, when all the shit was done, past all the rules and codes. This was Brockton Bay and we were the law here even as bent and as twisted as we were forced to be. Our duties to the people of this city didn't end just because I was tired and wanted to go back to base and have a cup of tea. I could see Velocity's weary gaze. It wasn't exhaustion, but the knowledge that things in the Bay were about to get worse, one way or another.

I looked over the four kids that were with us. "You all just saw a fight between two Villains with body counts. This was at night and we may not have any civilian casualties but if this had happened in the day this could have been much worse. This is what we face and worse if we can't keep control. You will all stay and observe how we interact with the Police and Fire Departments and then we will be escorting you back to HQ. Any questions?"

As Vigilance peppered me with questions about procedure I couldn't help but watch Glory Girl out of the corner of my eye and how she was just glaring at the pile of bodies that had been Marquis's foot soldiers.


	15. Chapter 3-4: Miss Militia

AN: I'm not sure how I feel about this segment. It needed to be told since it closes out the little arc and like everything else I've done, it lays more dominoes in line as well as knocking down some of the ones I've already laid. Still I'm not particularly happy with this and I may rewrite part or all of it at a later date. Regardless I needed to get through it before I could move onto the next viewpoint arc. Anyways this will close out Miss Militia and we have a Marquis Interlude next followed by a Director Calvert Viewpoint Arc.

* * *

I sat across the table of the interrogation room from Hirsent. The villainess still had her helmet on, but apart from that was wearing the red prisoner's jumpsuit we'd provided when she'd first arrived. Below the table my power shifted from one handgun to another at my frustration, the only tell I was giving I knew at my frustration. Over twenty hours had passed since we'd brought Hirsent into the Rig for holding to let her cool off and give her time to stew. In that time she'd spent twelve hours in a cell either sleeping, eating, or just stewing, and the remaining ten in this interrogation room minus brief trips under guard to a bathroom. Frankly she was starting to need another shower but her comfort wasn't our goal.

In my experience parahumans had all manners of little triggers that would set them off. Physical discomfort wasn't one clearly. I was suspecting judging by the way I could hear her boot restraint covered foot was tapping at the floor, that restlessness and idleness might be a trigger, but clearly the bit of time we'd gotten her here wasn't enough. I'd been hoping that we could find something to make her talk but Hirsent had been silent for nearly the whole time. She wasn't even really verbally taunting. Instead she was just waiting. Of course I knew exactly what she was waiting for. She'd already had one ten minute visit in a room with one of the lawyers Marquis retained. Regardless of the fact that his men were dead at her partner's actions, Marquis was already making motions with the justice system to have us released.

The DA already knew about the fact that we had Hirsent. And as our thinkers hadn't figured out what Marquis seemed to have on the man, it was expected any attempts to argue that Hirsent was a danger to the public would be turned down. The villain sitting before me hadn't harmed anyone other than Oni Lee and that was self defense regardless of other factors. Past history was shoddy at best, since a mask could easily be faked. For now we had nothing that her lawyer wouldn't turn around and lay at the feet of Oni Lee, and Hirsent had kept her cool. At this point the only thing that would prevent Hirsent from walking out the doors of the Rig in less than two hours was the Director. So at this point all that was left to do was stall for a little while longer as Marquis's lawyer went through Master/Stranger screening. A few final minutes to let the villain stew.

"You do realize that you are going to eventually be caught? I've seen you fight. Those claws of yours are distinctive. All you have to do is cut up one ABB or Empire gangbanger and you'll be right back here for a lot longer than one day. We know you've killed. You'll do it again here and we'll have you."

It was weak, my verbal probes and I knew it, but I just had to say something more, just to try and verbally provoke her. She did tilt her head forward from where she'd been looking up at the ceiling, asleep or just bored I didn't know. The mask faced me squarely and I knew I had her attention again, even if only for a moment.

"You assume you can hold me..."

The girl was confident. Cocky. I'd seen it many times before with capes just like her that had sat in that chair, some even wearing the same brute/strike gauntlet restraints that were keeping her claws from leaving her body. I glanced down at those gauntlets and then back up at her mask.

"I'd say we're doing a pretty good job. You may be extremely hard to kill but without your claws you're barely above peak human ability in terms of offense. No ranged attacks at all. If you can't touch me let alone anyone else there's nothing you could do to hurt anyone."

Not necessarily true but even if she didn't reveal a hidden ability in a moment of foolishness her body language and words would still give our Thinkers material to go over now and after she was gone. Spectrum's Tinkertech would reveal more perhaps but she'd be gone by the time she could process any of it into a usable format for us to see. There was a buzz for a moment and the intercom came on. I silently cursed as Hirsent had shifted like she was going to speak again but instead went silent as one of the PRT troopers assigned as a guard to Hirsent spoke up through the intercom.

"Miss Militia. Hirsent's lawyer is here to escort her when she is released and the Director has asked to see you.

I sighed giving Hirsent a final look as I pushed back from the reinforced metal table and stood heading to the table. It was just as I was leaving that Hirsent spoke.

"You should really get a shower before you go see your boss. I suspect that he'll like the smell almost as little as I do."

I glared for a moment but didn't bother responding. Stepping out and letting it close behind me I removed my mask for a brief moment and grimaced. She was right I did need a shower how long had... oh... I was due for a shower if I still smelled of smoke and blood after this long, but the Director wanted to see me and a city with war on the horizon had needed all my time. Even as a Noctis cape there was never enough and I'd somehow pulled a Collin and lost track of time in my daily schedule. As I made my way up I passed the girl's lawyer. The man was professional and just gave me a nod that I responded since at least the ones Marquis employed didn't have the slime ball feel some of the other Cape lawyers in the city had.

A short ride in the elevator later followed by a quick walk to the Director's office and I was at the Director's office. His secretary, Frederick Pitter, ever the unassuming man that quietly did everything his boss required and had been with the Director for his entire duration as Director for years now, waved her in. She gave the man a nod as he turned back to his computer and then walked inside to see and hear he was in the middle of a phone conversation. The director gave her a wave of the hand and silently gestured for her to take a seat as he continued to speak.

"Look I get it. But don't come blaming me and my people because your streets have holes in them. If Miss Militia hadn't even been there with some of the Wards there would have been no PRT or Protectorate presence at all. Oni Lee attacked Hirsent in retaliation for what Joan Arc did. End of story. And if you try and claim that bullet holes from Miss Militia count as damage to the city you can try arguing that little bit only after I see your people deliver a bill to Oni Lee and Lung. Until then Mr. Mayor please stop trying to accuse my people of things out of their control."

I took a seat as Mayor Christener replied, and Director Calvert produced his signature silver half-dollar and was spinning it on his desk.

"Tom. I have four late shift workers in hospitals still and a dozen blown up shops with more that were damaged. Let alone the damage to the road and say nothing of the fact that I've got news crews from New York showing up. If we don't get this handled quick Marquis is going to have even more of Downtown in his pocket before this is done. I've got dozens of business owners up and down that street seeing repair crews rolling up in force. Marquis may be the reason it happened but hospital bills are being covered and buildings are already being repaired while his lawyers are already leasing temporary locations for them to do business from until the repairs are complete. If you don't cut some funds my way I'm going to either have to hit the insurance policy the city has against parahuman damages, which this isn't nearly bad enough to warrant giving them to raise our payments more, or I have to just stand aside and let every business owner who's tight on bills with the repair turn to Marquis and sign his devil's bargains for financial safety."

I watched silently as the Director just gave his coin a twirl sending it spinning on his desk and then leaned back in his chair to watch it as he talked.

"Look Roy. Don't go trying to blame my people. That's all I ask. You got a beef take it up with Marquis. But let me see what I can do. Anyways I've got to call you back after I have a chance to call a friend. In the meantime my next meeting is here."

And just like that he pressed the button hanging up on the mayor of Brockton Bay. Behind my mask my lips twitched but even I wasn't sure if it was in a smile or a frown. As the spinning coin came to a stop on his desk he turned to fully face me.

"Thanks for coming Hannah. I just wanted to go over a few things with you before we release Hirsent."

I settled in and paid attention as he grabbed his coin of his desk and slipped into a pocket of his suit.

"We're letting her out and there will be no reprisals. Marquis was seen this morning and may have had a meeting with Kaiser at Somner's Rock. We are not going to do anything. Its been almost twenty-four hours and he wants his hired help back. So we're going to let her take her, no muss, no fuss. And for the next forty-eight hours we are engaging a Sigma Operation."

I stiffened in shock at the serious of the situation as the Director gave me the code word for what was about to happen, and he gave me a subtle nod of his head in confirmation.

"Keep the city calm. Keep your people in line. Wards, Protectorate. I want no waves made. I also need Battery on permanent detachment to me for the duration unless I end the operation early. I just nodded silently my mind still whirling at what I knew would be going down even if I would never see it. Given what was going down, there was only one real possibility for what he was using the Operation for. I could only hope it would play out to the Director's plans. Regardless I had my orders and I would make sure that the next two days would stay quiet.

"Anything else Sir?"

Director Calvert just shook his head in denial and as I was standing he was already reaching for the phone to make another phone call despite the late hour. In some small way it was good to know that I wasn't the only one who spent long hours at night working. Turning I walked away and out his office and was already headed down to the Protectorate staff levels and the Console station. I found Battery sitting in the chair watching dozens of screens as she sipped a cup of coffee to keep her awake and sharp. Gently I laid a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head she looked up at me.

"Director Calvert wants you. We're starting on a Sigma Operation. You're assigned to him for the next forty-eight hours unless he calls it early. I'm taking the rest of your shift."

Battery's eyes were wide for a moment as she too nodded in understanding at the grave importance of what was going on before she got a hard focused look. Standing she said nothing. There was nothing left to be said. Our faith was in the Director and his plan and all we could do was our parts. I took her place at the Console as she left and could only hope I could keep the city calm and quiet for the next two days.


	16. Interlude: Marquis

I had arrived early, as was my usual when it came to these meetings. A pair of glasses sat on the table in front of me. Beside them sat a bucket of ice and the bottle I had brought with me. I was alone in the room. The staff was all in back, and outside on the door a closed sign hung keeping anyone else from entering. The fact that two of my men were also outside in regular clothes keeping watch made sure that the sign would be obeyed by all but one who might approach.

I slowly tapped my fingers on the top of the table in front of me. The tapping of bone on wood echoed through the entire room. I retracted the bone back into my body around my wrist, allowing me to see my watch. I eyed it for a moment checking the time even as the second hand of it continued to tick. It was as I was extending my bone, back through the skin of my arm to cover my wrist once, more that the bell over the door finally rang as it was opened.

Through the now opened door walked Kaiser in his full armored form. Like me his power was wrapped around him as armor to protect him. He took a few steps inside and took a look around, likely seeing if I or someone else had laid a trap. Behind him I could see Menja and Hookwolf both. After a moment he turned his head and I could hear him murmuring whispered orders to the both. I hadn't brought Joan Arc after all. It would only be rude for him to bring his subordinates into a meeting between us.

They both obeyed turning and walking out to leave Kaiser standing just a few feet in front of the door as it slammed shut behind him. Wordlessly he walked over and pulled out the chair across from me and took a seat as well. I silently took the two glasses. Put a cube of ice from the bucket in each and then poured from the bottle. Two fingers of scotch each that we both took and raised in silent salute.

I felt the smoothness roll down my throat as my hand set the glass back on the table with a clink. Kaiser took a moment more in savoring his drink before doing the same. Ritual of greeting complete it was time for us to talk.

"I'm sure you heard last night that Hirsent was taken by the Protectorate to the Rig."

Kaiser's only response to my words was a nod.

"When I asked for this meeting I wasn't expecting that to happen. I was planning to talk about the common ground we both share… I suppose I still am in a way though not as planned. Regardless, Hirsent will leave the Rig this evening. If Calvert, Militia and their ilk release her I shall stay my hand. If they do not… I will wage war upon their fortress to free her."

My words were soft, quiet. It was just the two of us, and despite my anger, for now my temper and my Itch remained calm. Across from me Kaiser was silent as metal covered fingers slowly tapped on the table in thought. No doubt my fellow villainous ruler was weighing his options and choosing his course with care.

I knew that I had done the same in the pre-dawn darkness, when I had stilled my wrath and my rage. Calming Joan Arc had been almost as difficult but it had been done. By the time the sun was rising in the east my war plans to free Hirsent had already begun to form. Dozens of phone calls, to my Lieutenants and district captains, to my associates, my lawyers, and others had all been made. The sun had risen to greet me as I had sat on my porch and simply waited.

Kaiser, ever a man that measured the cost of his actions, and weighed his choices, spent quite a few seconds in thought before finally speaking.

"Will you need assistance to free Hirsent?"

I raised a brow in surprise beneath my armor. I knew full well where Joan Arc and Kaiser stood on the terms of their relationship and interaction. The fact that he was making this offer to me despite that? It was something that spoke volumes of his position and stance. And, I knew that behind this command were likely the words of Allfather guiding and counseling his son and successor.

With equal care I weighed my own response and reply. The Empire had the strongest force of capes in the city. Having them with me would likely double or more the numbers I would be bringing to bear against the Protectorate. But, I knew Joan's mind.

"I would ask that you mobilize your forces and prepare but do not join us at the onset. If it is needed you can order your followers into battle. But let us see if we can make your assistance unnecessary first."

Kaiser gave me a firm nod of agreement before reaching forward and taking the bottle he poured a refill for the both of us. I let him do so. Kaiser was many things, some of which I had no tolerance or love for, but he was my comrade and ally in matters such as these. Even when we were not preparing for war, a king such as he was accorded certain respects, just as he did the same for me. But the one thing I had no doubt he would ever try or do, was to harm or kill me with poison.

We were kings in this city. If we ever turned against each other, our deaths would be something we would display for all the world to see, there would be no daggers in the back between us or even Lung as much as we might all dislike and even hate each other at times.

And so I took the drink he poured and raised it another silent toast as he did the same and we both consumed our drinks again. My glass quickly hit the table, and again he savored his before once more we talked.

"Originally when I asked for this meeting it was regarding Hirsent and Joan Arc in particular. I know you have spoken with Joan Arc, and you and her have your own agreement. But, you and I, still need to have a negotiation of the situation. Particularly since Joan Arc's presence in the city has an impact on your forces regardless of if they know of it yet…"

I studied him for a moment. I couldn't see his face, only his mouth and chin where his armor had been left exposed so that he could drink and speak without difficulty.

"Do any of them yet know?"

He sighed and nodded as he gave me his answer.

"Victor and Menja know, and Allfather as well."

My mouth set itself into a hard line.

"And Allfather as well… Well I suppose that one was simply inevitable."

Kaiser only nodded as I just sighed. I sorely wanted to pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration but bone was still in the way so I simply tightened my hands as much as the bone encasing them would allow.

"Nothing that can be done about that anymore, I suppose. Do keep the rest of your people in line and in the dark unless Joan Arc decides she wishes to change her mind on the situation."

She wouldn't of course. Joan Arc was, as she always had been, in love. And nothing, not even death would change that. I wouldn't lie and say it left me unaffected. Knowing her heart belonged to another. But, we did both love each other in our own ways, even if it was not that same love. But we had our love for each other, and we had Hirsent. And that would be enough. It would have to be enough.

Kaiser of course nodded. Me asking it was mere formality between us as leaders, not anything hard or concrete that would change Kaiser's policy in how he ran his Empire. I did a quick run through mentally. There was more that we could discuss but in truth, almost all of it would hinge on if the Protectorate released Hirsent. If they did, Kaiser and I would no doubt have other conversations in the near future that focused far more on the operations of our territory and how we would interact.

If they did not, everything was up in the air. Delphi had certainly predicted the city would know war but I never predicted I would be the one to start it even if I was provoked. Still her pre-cog prediction seemed to indicate perhaps the war was almost here. Likely tomorrow, no later than the day after depending how quickly those I had hired and summoned would arrive.

Kaiser could sense as well that our meeting was on hold until this matter was resolved. Sliding glass on the table he poured us both another glass before raising it and finally given a spoken toast to me as I met his raised glass with my own.

"To your fortune and your family."

It was all he said. It was all he needed to say. It summed up everything about the situation and broke it down into just six words. I idly couldn't help but wonder what Joan Arc would think of that.

He drained his drink for a final time, still savoring the amber liquid as I did the same. And, then, when he was done, he turned and departed. I just sat there for a moment before my bones shifted to reveal the 'pocket' I kept in my armor to store my tinkertech phone. Opening, and turning it on, I scrolled through checking the messages.

All of them were innocuous, in their content. Confirmation that the sender would be arriving soon, but making no mention, or hint, of the true meaning behind the words. As I was scrolling I noticed one key individual had not responded.

Pressing the call button I listened to the dial tone several times before finally there was a response. I didn't hear the caller himself, not at first, I instead heard what could only be a battle as the sound of what I was fairly sure was stone, brick, or perhaps concrete, shattering was the first thing I heard. I winced at the volume, no doubt it was very loud indeed on the other end.

Panting, heavy breathing, became audible a moment later. I heard a quickly greeting of.

"One quick second Marchy, I'm a little…" There was the sound of a muffled explosion that was likely a confoam grenade detonating. "…busy."

I proceeded to just sit there and listen to close to two minutes of what had to be a running fight of some kind. There wasn't much in the way of dialogue. The laughter of the man I called as the PRT and likely the Protectorate too attempted to subdue and restrain him, didn't count as it was a simple fact that it was his nature.

Finally though everything quieted down and I could hear his breath as he raised the phone back to his ear and mouth. Finally speaking after minutes of sitting stiff as a statue, my patience being tested, as the thought of just hanging up warred with the knowledge that this man had a particular knowledge and skill set I might end up needing if the worst should come to pass.

"Have you given thought to my offer?"

The man's chuckle was as expected, immediate.

"Me in Brockton, dear oh dear. Haven't been back since you last ran me out. Tell you what. I'll do it. Call it out of old time's sake in exchange for that time you kept the Protectorate from sending their big guns after me. But, in exchange what I want instead is an apology for running me out of town like that. You say you're sorry for being a big old meanie and hurting my feelings and I'll be down there before you need it ready to break out whoever you want."

I grit my teeth silently. But, I knew the realities of the situation.

"I'm sorry for kicking you out of my city…" I said barely keeping the growl out of my voice as I actually apologized to the mayhem in the form of a man that I was talking to on the phone.

"Well then! See that wasn't so hard. Anyways let me finish this tonight and I'll be there by tomorrow. See you soon Marchy."

The line went silent and I silently contemplated the fact that I was inviting someone I thought I never would, into my city. Eyeing the bottle sitting before me I poured myself a glass and threw it back knowing I would need it in the coming hours should the Protectorate and Calvert fail to see wisdom.


	17. Chapter 4-1: Thomas Calvert

AN:_ This took me far longer than I would have liked. I partially blame my new fic A Soul of Steel since I only started writing that to keep from hitting a dead end due to writer's block and then it took on a life of its own demanding more and more of my attention. Anyways I put that one back on the back burner and figured it was time for more OMBC. The other part is that I work for a company with few enough employees that I'm still going into work every day so I do not find myself with a whole bunch of free time to write sadly. Though that would be awesome._

I sat at my desk, doing my best to ignore the itch of a headache in my mind that accompanied the knowledge that in my alternate timeline I was also sitting at my desk. In both worlds I was doing the exact same thing. Waiting.

Oh sure, I was doing paperwork. That never ended. But the fourteen hours since I had created my split I had been doing the exact same things. The one thing that had differed was in this world I still had Hirsent sitting in a holding cell in the Rig. In my other timeline, she had been released hours ago. Regardless in both worlds I waited in my office in the Rig.

I had sent my secretary Mr. Pitter home in both worlds. The man was skilled, talented, and loyal, but he was a normal person. Instead I'd had Battery take over the duties at the desk so that anyone who wanted to access my Rig office and quarters would need to go through her. Barring a very short list of visitors I'd approved after heightening the alert level for the PRT and Protectorate in both worlds, including Master/Stranger protocols, no one would be coming in.

The headache started building like it always did. I grabbed the coin from my desk in both worlds and flipped it. In this world it landed heads up. In the other, the tails side landed face up. Seeing the difference through two pairs of eyes the edge of the headache I felt in both immediately abated, ever so slightly. I figured I had probably another ten minutes before I would need another flip if things remain quiet.

Of course it wasn't quiet, not really. But I didn't have access to the knowledge of what Marquis' plans were. I only knew he would be coming and likely very soon. I checked my email again. No responses regarding my little plan and my agents. My men in Marquis' organization were probably cut out. No doubt Marquis didn't plan to use his enforcers for more than crowd control while he, Joan Arc, and whoever else he brought with him laid siege to my fortress.

The analogy, one comparing Marquis to a conquering warlord or king of old was one I used to remind myself that for all my power, unless I was willing to write off the civilians living in my city, I couldn't simply oust the man. He, like Kaiser, were too pivotal to the ongoing stability in the city. Without them, other gangs like the Teeth might return, or Lung might start getting ideas.

A precision strike by Alexandria would be quick and painless, there were none in the city I knew of that could face her after all. But, I couldn't keep Alexandria in the city as a deterrent. None of my Protectorate team could equal her. So rather than let the forces of law and order keep the criminal capes out of my city, I let the villains already here do it instead.

All because of Marquis, oh how I wanted to bring the man low, but even now, this was only a probe, for all that I had grabbed him by the balls and squeezed by locking up the man's daughter.

I was immediately pulled from my thoughts as in this world my desk phone rang, while in the other world it did not. I immediately picked it up and listened.

"Sir, this is Sergeant Kinsky at PRT Headquarters. We're getting calls from residents and businesses that Marquis' enforcers have begun clearing out businesses on the boardwalk ordering people at gunpoint back to their homes or elsewhere. We don't have hard numbers but it looks like he's prepping for something big. His men are openly wearing armor and carrying tinker tech weaponry."

Even as my headache began to ease, a new one not related to my power began to form. I mulled over my options for a quick moment that I doubt I had. Even if this was only a test I didn't want to take any unnecessary escalations past what I had initially planned with Sigma.

I'd succeeded in getting Marquis to react. But, I still needed to balance everything else. BBPD would no doubt be readying even as the waited for the, rightly so, expected reinforcements from my PRT forces. Deciding I spoke.

"Sergeant, transfer me to Major Upkirk."

Waiting for the Sergeant, one who'd been with me in my days in the PRT's ranks, to transfer me I continued to think. In the other world, the one I was experiencing in my head, everything remained quiet. In that one just to check I made a phone call to check and make sure there was no activity in my city. Kinsky was clearly manning the phones at PRT headquarters in both worlds given that he answered. A quick few questions that proved nothing of note occurring as far as he knew and I hung up.

For now everything in that world remained safe and quiet. In this world the phone on the other was picked up and I quickly issued orders to my senior PRT commander.

"Deploy your forces. All of them. Call up the off duty troopers as well. Link up with BBPD. Have your men form a perimeter around Marquis' forces which are likely going to be positioning at the bridge access to the Rig. Allow them to remove the civilians from the area, assist. But don't engage unless they engage you first. It is likely that Marquis will be bringing in additional Parahuman assets so under no circumstances are your men to engage. Regardless of what they do, unless they attack you and your men directly, do not engage."

With that I put the phone down on the receiver and stood. I didn't care if Upkirk had questions. Nothing would matter once Sigma was over. He only needed to obey his orders until then. I quite frankly didn't have the time to spare answering him, not when everything would be kicking off in the next few minutes. I moved to leave my office as in the other world I continued to work on paperwork in peace and safety.

Stepping outside my office I saw Battery sitting at the desk filling out some of the paperwork Pitter usually handled. It had been make-work up until now for her. For now though it was time for the waiting game to end and the opening act of what was to come, to start. She looked up at me as I closed my office door behind me.

"It's beginning. Marquis's non-powered forces are moving to form a perimeter. BBPD and the PRT forces will form a perimeter around them while we deal with Marquis alone. I suggest you make any last preparations you need. I suspect none of us will have a chance later."

She got up and walked straight into the bathroom. I pulled out my phone as I waited. I wasn't going to begrudge her the opportunity as I doubted any of us would get such a chance again. As I waited I called a number. Instantly it was answered.

"Console speaking. How can I help you Director?"

Spectrum's voice came through. The feminine voice of the ENE's eyes and ears in the city. I would be relying on her work probably more than anything else in the hours to come.

"I assume you've been keeping watch of what's going on at the Ferry station and the bridge access?"

It was a simple question I expected a positive response to, but it needed to be asked. If Spectrum had been neglecting her duties to tinker away the boredom it would need to be corrected to prevent future occurrences.

"Yes Sir. No sighting of any capes yet and BBPD and PRT are already en route. I notified Miss Militia and she's already here. She said we would be waiting for you on this Sir?"

There was a question and a voice of confusion at the likely odd sounding orders. Spectrum hadn't been read in on a Sigma Op and what it entailed. That precious knowledge was limited, for now, to just myself, Militia, and Battery. Still it was good to know that Militia was on the ball.

"Have you called up your fellow heroes to readiness yet?"

Miss Militia spoke now, her voice a little farther away in sound over my phone but still clearly audible.

"Yes Sir. Magnus is still getting ready and Division is still in the infirmary. Everyone else is at battle positions to repel a hostile assault by enemy forces."

I didn't have to be present to know that Spectrum and anyone else in the command room of the Rig was likely looking at my Protectorate team leader like she was crazy. We were openly letting the villains make the first move. To them that must have been idiotic since the villains weren't on hand yet to fully pen us in. We could have sallied forth from our fortress. Velocity along with Armsmaster thanks to his motorcycle, let alone Battery's ability to enhance her speed could all easily make it to the mainland before things could escalate and keep them from penning us in.

But then they didn't know about what the objective of all this was. So all I said was simply a confirmation of my thoughts.

"Very good. Battery and I are on the way to the Control Room. Let me know if Marquis or any of his people start arriving before then."

And then I hung up. Miss Militia would keep her own people in line, and I had carefully cultivated skilled and loyal officers in my own ranks that would keep the rank and file calm as our doom approached. I had no doubt that our doom was indeed approaching. Hirsent was locked up in the cells down below. Marquis and Joan Arc plus everyone they could gather would be coming at us soon.

It was time to see just who Marquis had been keeping hidden in the wings.

By the time Battery emerged from the bathroom a minute later I received a text to my phone. Glancing at it I read. I wasn't surprised by who arrived first. Mercenaries were to be expected. If I hadn't known better I might have been surprised that Marquis and Joan Arc had arrived on scene to be met by Faultline's mercenaries. But then I knew Faultline better than many. She wouldn't pass up this opportunity.

My first surprise of the day however would come as I walked past the armed guards into the Rig's Control Room. Massive TV displays were showing live zoomed in feeds of the forces lining up on the boardwalk near the ferry terminal.

I could of course see Marquis himself. I'd been in this city for nearly six years now and I'd grown very familiar with that bone white armor. I noted Joan Arc standing near him. Fully armored as the woman was I couldn't tell her face but her posture betrayed near certain tenseness. But then I knew fully why she was on edge too. Near at hand were Faultine and her six parahuman mercenaries. I was surprised to see Labyrinth present, but a quick moment of inspiration, and I realized that if they could harness and focus her power today, that might be how they intended to reach my fortress out in the bay. I scanned the rest of her mercs. Newter and Gregor the Snail, were both instantly recognizable as the Case 53's of her group. My mouth tightened slightly at seeing Curveball present. If this hadn't been a Sigma Op I'd be cursing the fact that Seattle's one time former poster boy Ward was openly standing with his current employer. I could see cameras flashing a mile a minute and I had no doubt that the former Ward was getting his fair share of the attention. Howitzer, and Chaingang finished out the band of mercenaries.

I wasn't surprised beyond the fact that they'd brought out Labyrinth. All reports indicated that the girl was unstable and unreliable under the best of times. Clearly something had changed in the equation that I didn't know.

It was the other capes that I turned my attention to. Already screens were displaying information on each of the out of town capes Marquis had called in. Gridline was standing alone, no surprise there. And the twin thieves Pick and Pocket were both present as well. Troublesome, I assumed Marquis had brought them in for any hacking work. They didn't rate as particularly dangerous but the brother and sister pair of thieves had a way of proving troublesome regardless.

Marquis hadn't moved yet, so I assumed he was still waiting for others to arrive. Turning I looked to Spectrum sitting at the Console station. I walked over to her to study her monitors and their displays.

"He hasn't moved yet. Clearly he's still waiting for more to arrive. Have your cameras picked up anyone else yet?"

Spectrum input a few quick commands into the haptic hologram keyboard she used and up on the main screen several new camera feeds came up. I looked over each and on reaching a very particular one I couldn't stop the urge to swallow in nervousness. Spectrum either didn't know or didn't care as she narrated what the cameras were clearly showing.

"I've picked up two vehicles that analysis indicates might be ferrying parahumans but I put low odds of probability at that. I think judging by everything he's only waiting on one or two more people at most. More concerning however is that."

She pointed rather unhelpfully at the screen I will admit I was staring at.

"It seems Kaiser pulled in all his troops. Cricket, Rune, and Purity are all still unaccounted for, but every other Empire cape is on site to spectate. I can only expect that Marquis told Kaiser what he would be doing. The only good news about this is that we also know where Lung is."

Another command tap pulled up another video feed, this one a long range camera from the Rig probably showing Lung himself reclining back to sit on a bench overlooking the bay on the waterfront. Oni Lee, ever Lung's trusty attack dog was sitting nearby. Neither seemed ready to attack, it just seemed that they, like Kaiser were watching the wheels of power in the bay shift.

"We have a car coming through the barricade!"

I turned looking away from those TV monitors to a different one showing the perimeter. Clearly whoever was inside was likely a cape. I could see three people in the car though I didn't know who it was, at least I didn't until it came to a stop and the occupants got out. The driver was Cricket of all people. Her costume was a little different. She'd forgone the pit fighter outfit she used with the Empire for what looked like light combat armor. There was a girl wearing a half mask next to her. She looked to be about Ward age judging by the height but it wasn't a costume I recognized. It was the third and final figure that I did recognize, rather intimately given how often PRT reports had featured his image and name over the years.

Marquis had swallowed his pride it seemed since Madcap was the third and final member of the group. Instantly the entire group tensed and looked upwards, all except for Joan Arc who had materialized a spear in one hand even as her other was raised upwards to the sky, in a dramatic gesture.

My first indication of what was really happening was when something quickly passed through the video feed. I'd thought it was a bird but whatever it was, was moving straight down. I leaned forward, noting the crowd in the background visibly backing up from the police lines. Clearly whatever was happening seemed suitably dramatic but I didn't yet know what.

"Do we have any idea what she is doing?"

My question got an immediate response from one of the PRT staff in the room.

"Negative Sir. I've got guys on the roof looking around."

However another PRT member immediately spoke up in a near shout.

"Rig force field is spiking. Something's hitting it!"

Immediately shouts and orders began to fly as the organized nature of the room erupted into organized chaos of an active location. I stood in it all letting my men do their jobs even as more and more cameras were beginning to show that strange same blur passing in their view. The villains on the land hadn't moved yet. A few such as Faultline were watching Joan Arc, but most were staring at us in the Rig.

"Sir. A report from the roof. We've got projectiles falling from the sky hitting the force field. And more and more of them are raining down."

I frowned wondering what the hell Joan Arc was doing to create this. She'd never exhibited a power like this before. Weapon creation in her hand and a minor brute power rating letting her hit harder with those weapons was all she'd ever shown. I was furiously thinking trying to solve this as more and more PRT techs were calling out readings. I stared at the video feed of the woman standing next to Marquis. How could she possibly be doing this?

"Director! I isolated a frame of one of the projectiles!"

Immediately I turned to Spectrum but she was already putting the still shot up on the monitors for the room to see. With clarity only Tinkertech could guarantee I stared at the spear, frozen unmoving in air by the miracle of camera magic. It was the exact same as the one Joan Arc was holding. At the edge of the frame I could see part of another spear as well.

How? What? She wasn't throwing them… She wasn't… I felt my eyes widen as I glanced in dawning horrified realization at the camera still displaying the feed of the Empire forces. I glanced back at Joan Arc standing next to Marquis. Right there, beside her and behind her was Cricket. I glanced back at Kaiser. In the exact same position behind him was Victor.

I'd initially wondered how Marquis had succeeded in getting Cricket away from the Empire. But then she'd already left, months ago. And I realized it wasn't Marquis that had pulled Cricket away at all. It had been Joan Arc! And there was only one person Joan Arc could be to pull that off. Only one way at all given the way my spies in the Empire ranks reported they were structured.

It made sense. And it explained so much of Marquis' relationship with the Empire. First with Allfather and now with Kaiser. I'd never been surprised by Marquis' ability to work with Kaiser, the two were similar in many regards. Allfather however had been a different kind of man. A harsher, more violent and intolerant man. I'd wondered for years how Marquis had gotten that peace of his between them. And now the answer was staring me in the face as the very person responsible laid siege to the Rig all by herself. In another world. One that I was safe and out of the danger I had thrown myself head first into in this one, I felt a shiver of fear roll down my spine as I realized the answer to a question that had vexed me for years now.

"Dear God... Joan Arc is Iron Fucking Rain..."


	18. Chapter 4-2: Thomas Calvert

**AN: So before I return to this long delayed installment I just want to cover a few things. Given that this is a fic that takes the Empire 88 and doesn't instantly vilify them but actually gets them some positive spin and viewpoint, I'm probably going to get some flames for this. These last months have shown the situation of racism in America and beyond in the world. So I would like to cover a few things. I do not support racism. This is only fictional, no one in this story is real, or if they are real historical figures mentioned, they are completely fictional. Just because the world is blowing up between Covid and everything else does not mean I am going to change this story. Max and Annette are both still racist, they are also still parents that love their children. Being racist is bad, but just because you are a bad or evil person does not mean that the good things that have been done, such as donating to charities is instantly an evil act. They are human, just like the rest of us (albeit with a little mental prodding from the conflict drive their shards are giving them). And they will continue to go on being human in every way, good, bad, and otherwise. This is not a story that I will be smashing the E88 at the onset in. The E88 is and will remain a factor in this world. If all of this is something you are not comfortable, I suggest you un-watch this thread and stop reading. **

**Anyways back to your long scheduled update. **

My eyes were fixed on the video displays showing the Boardwalk and the positions of both the Empire capes and Lung and Oni Lee. For now neither group was moving... with the notable exception that at some point Oni Lee had fetched a bag of street popcorn for Lung who was just sitting there and eating it while watching everything unfold.

"Force field integrity at forty-three percent and holding Sir!"

God bless Armsmaster's ability to adapt to a situation on the fly. I didn't know what he'd been doing for the last twenty minutes but whatever it was seemed to be working, even if I was sure I wouldn't want to deal with the complications of whatever Tinkertech device he had integrated into the Rig's power systems. I continued to watch until I noticed the streaks of falling projectiles came to an end.

"Sir! Joan Arc has stopped!"

I nodded almost subconsciously as I leaned forward, resting my hands on the observation railing at the back of the control room where I was still standing.

"Yes she has. Get me a close up on Joan Arc, audio too. What will you do now..."

The final words were a murmur and whisper rolled into one that I spoke to myself aloud. One of the camera screens switched to show Joan Arc had turned away and was now walking over to Marquis. The body posture said she was speaking but I wasn't hearing anything as she walked towards Madcap.

"I'm not hearing anything. Spectrum where's my audio?!"

Off to the side the Cape was furiously typing away at one of her computers even as I shouted at her.

"Coming Sir! Pick brought something that is giving my equipment interference. I'm countering it as we speak."

The silence continued and my knuckles tightened as I gripped the railing harder. I was staring right at my Intel but I couldn't hear a damn thing. In both timelines I felt annoyance and irritation as I watched the medieval armored villain walk over towards Faultline's group. While I knew all pieces Marquis and Joan Arc had brought to the board to help them, I was unused to this dynamic. I was operating in the blind and without Intel my blindness was not going away. I need to know! I had to or all of this would just be a waste.

"Got it Sir!"

And with that the sounds flooded into the control room as Joan Arc stopped in front of not Faultline but instead Labyrinth. I frowned not expecting or understanding this. Labyrinth was powerful true, but for all the unpredictability and dangerous of her Shaker field it was by all reports, not something that could be controlled.

"Hello Labyrinth."

The villain's words were soft, not what I will admit I expected from the elder and more violent of Allfather's children. This didn't sound like the woman I still had a dossier on despite the fact that she had not been seen or sighted in the Bay for twenty years. Labyrinth didn't respond and I felt even more doubt about whatever Iron Rain was planning. One thing that the medical and power testing for Labyrinth had agreed on was that Labyrinth had so called good days and bad days. While her power was more potent on the bad days like this apparently judging by the lack of social contact or response. The villain's posture wasn't even shifting, I doubted she even realized Joan Arc was there. So while Labyrinth might be more effective for whatever was planned, the ability for her to do anything seemed less likely.

"I don't know if you can remember me right now but I'm Hirsent's mommy."

I stared and I could hear the quiet murmuring go quiet apart from a feverishly hiss whispered by one of the techs manning a console.

"Oh dear god... We've got Allfather's grandkid locked up in here... She's a fucking Third Gen cape."

I could feel the fear that had to be filling the room, in both worlds no less because it was my own fear as well. There weren't many Third-Generation capes yet, but those that were were all showing signs of immense power no matter what level of power their parent and grandparents had possessed. But horror stories of kids triggering at very young ages had been privately circulated in the PRT's upper echelons. It was a goddamn nightmare. Hirsent was old enough that she could be reasoned with, but kids that young? There was no control, no restraint, just children armed with nukes a threat to everyone and everything around them. I hissed a shushing noise at my staff as Iron Rain continued to speak.

"You remember Hirsent right? Well I happen to know that Hirsent would be very happy to see you as well as play with you again, but there are some bad men keeping her locked up. But you can help us get her back so you two can play."

The words were ones I almost missed coming through the speakers, and it took me a moment to realize I must be hearing Labyrinth. Joan Arc had raised a hand to gently take Labyrinth's hand in her own as she talked to her. The whole scene was strange. I didn't feel like I was watching two of the most powerful Shakers on the eastern seaboard. I felt like I was watching a mother, or maybe a teacher, trying to coax a reaction out of a shy and withdrawn child.

"Bad men have Hirsent?"

Each word was slowly spoken, almost as if the girl saying them had forgotten how to speak. There was a pause between each word but they were clearly spoken if oh so very quiet. I didn't know why but I began to feel a cold terror I didn't understand building in my gut.

"Yes they do. But you can help us rescue her. Just like how she rescued you from the Bad Place. She's right there. That's Hirsent's Bad Place."

I watched as Joan Arc raised a gauntlet adorned hand to point directly towards the Bay. She had to be pointing directly at the Rig. Beside her the hood of Labyrinth's outfit turned showing that the girl hidden within was responding, looking at where the Villainess was pointing.

"Sir! Something's happening to the Boardwalk! Screen Seventeen!"

My head whipped around finding the camera in question. The whole of the boardwalk was changing, the concrete beneath the feet of the villains was turning from poured concrete to paved stones, and the effect was spreading quickly. I could see in back that the crowds of gawking civilians and even police were clearly backing away from whatever was happening on their side.

"Director! Labyrinth is moving!"

I glanced to the side and saw she'd turned and was walking in the direction of the Rig one step at a time. I turned my head back to the main screen I was watching showing the boardwalk as a whole and sweat built on my brow as the effects weren't stopping or reverting. Faultline and one of her followers were trailing the girl in her wake while Joan Arc turned away and looked to Madcap.

"Now Madcap."

The jailbreak expert just raised his hands out to each side and held them out in a T like position. His hands still gripped the straps of the discus he carried but his hands were raised, palms pointed to the sky, as if he were practicing an exercise to build arm strength. I glanced away from the strangeness to study the feed of the Boardwalk. And I saw it happen along with most of my staff. At the water's edge the boardwalk shifted to the paved stones that looked old and ancient, polished smooth but riddled with cracks and age nonetheless. Labyrinth was just now reaching the edge and she extended a foot to step over the edge. It happened in an instant, the space of a blink of an eye. Stone erupted out from the shape of the boardwalk extending forward beneath each footstep as it touched down. And behind her as she passed the platform widened and thickened. I could see supports extending downward into the waters below as Labyrinth advanced on us building a bridge closer and closer with every step she took.

Given the sight we were being confronted with we could almost not be blamed for what was going on with Madcap. One of my techs luckily caught it and called it out.

"Something just hit Madcap! It must have been a projectile from Joan Arc."

I could see what had to be cannon balls on the ground beside Madcap on either side and the villain was now walking forward as was every Cape that the villain duo of Marquis and Iron Rain had gathered together. I glanced to the side and breathed a momentary sigh of relief to see that the Empire wasn't moving, yet. But I doubted that would hold if I had Kaiser's niece locked up down in the prison cells. But still I had to turn my focus back to the video feed showing all fourteen capes that were following behind Labyrinth as she breached our defensive moat one step at a time. I couldn't deny that it was a formidable array of force. Marquis was an absolute master of close fighting and Madcap was a goddamn battering ram. Given the fact that he was now just off to the side of Labyrinth I knew that they would probably be relying on him to breach our defenses, though for now at least the force field was holding. I also didn't like the fact that he seemed almost hyper, he was bouncing on his toes with each step as if he was a hyper kid who'd had too much sugar.

As for the rest, Faultline meant that any physical obstacles like security doors would be only irritants at best. And none of the internal force field barriers to block hallways wouldn't stand up compared to the force field protecting the rig as a whole. Cricket, Gridline, Chaingang, Newter, and Gregor the Snail would of course all be dangerous in close quarters as well. With this mix, even without the forces of the Empire that were holding back the tide would shift once they were inside. Making a tactical decision on how to fight them once they got in I activated a communication line.

"Armsmaster. Forget about the force field. Whatever they have will probably get through. I need you to get to Division in the med bay and then hold on my signal."

The tinker's reply got cut off before he could start, I didn't have the time for his pursuit of perfectionism. My castle was under siege even if it was a siege I wanted and had invited. I would be damned if I didn't defend it.

"Just get there. That's an order!"

I cut the frequency and turned my head to look at Ms. Militia standing off to the side near me at the back of the room. Like me she'd been watching everything unfold and she knew the situation, both present and long term.

"Get down to the garage. Take Ent, Magnus, Ferros, and Challenger. They're going to get in but make them fight for every inch inside of the doors."

Off to the side one of my technicians, the one who was monitoring the invasion's progress across the bay as Labyrinth defied all known stats for her power and built a fucking bridge by just walking, called out.

"Thirty seconds to contact with the force field's edge. Here we go."

The seconds ticked down and everyone in the room was silent as we held our breaths collectively and waited. Finally it happened. Labyrinth couldn't move any closer. Madcap, skipping with each step like a little girl moved right up to the force field. I could hear over the speakers as the villain whistled an all too cheery tune, but there was nothing we could do as he stopped right in front of the force field and held his fist up to it. And then, he tapped it with his fingertip. It all happened at once as down below them in the depths of the Rig I could feel more than hear an explosion that had to be the power plant exploding. Within the space of two heartbeats the control room was bathed in red emergency lighting as the backups kicked in. Computers were already rebooting but they would take seconds we might not be able to spare to see what was happening so I moved over to stand behind Spectrum and look at her computer which was still on and working as she furiously typed away.

The force field was gone and the bridge Labyrinth was creating was extending forward as she advanced again. My eyes traced out the distance behind her where the rest of the bridge she had brought into existance was still standing. Somehow Labyrinth, or Joan Arc, or someone, only Scion knew who really, had figured out how to focus Labyrinth's power and hone it to a point of focus, and she had used that focus to build a bridge to get to us. I didn't sigh, that would have been beneath me as I pulled the pistol from the holster on my belt and checked to make sure I had a round in the chamber as a new siren announcing that the Rig was about to be invaded sounded through the corridors and hallways.

In another world separate but for a single link connecting my mind, one side to another I took the page I had filled to the brim with hand written notes and set it atop a slowly building pile and took a clean sheet from the stack of paper beside me and resumed writting.


	19. Interlude: Magnus

**AN: So I wasn't planning on this going this way. But the story has taken a few long term story changes so I'm changing the tracks of our little journey just a touch. This is why I'm extending out Calvert's arc since I want to lay more prep work on stuff. Regardless I also wanted to try and get in closer on the action and combat than Thomas's backseat view. So I decided I'd show one of my OC additions to the protectorate. The rest of Calvert's viewpoint arc will still come after this, followed by an outsider Interlude and then Taylor as I've planned and said before. And now back to my not at all regularly scheduled Update!**

* * *

I could feel the last of my extremities becoming numb as the painkillers and usual cocktail of Tinkertech drugs continued to flood my body, pumped in by my armor as I stared ahead at the garage bulkhead door. I'd already counted six strikes and I could now see daylight coming through in cracks as Madcap brought down our defenses one by one. Ferros was beside me, one of our two Changers had already assumed her Changer State, her body taking on a metallic look to it. A glance to my other side showed Ent who had already pushed himself to ten feet of height towering above me even without any soil to draw nutrients or energy from, or any sunlight from the sky to process. He would be able to stand by me in the front ranks while Militia and Challenger provided ranged support and Ferros handled battlefield control.

There was another booming hit that echoed through the cavernous room that served as the garage for the Rig. The door was even more bowed in now and I suspected that someone could slip through the breaches if they wanted to and were small enough, but neither the villains outside, or my own allies surrendered their positions to expose themselves alone to the enemy. My helmet began to display a proximity warning and I turned my head to look as Militia had switched her power an anti-armor shoulder mounted weapon system. My fists clenched and I could feel a pop as I unintentionally broke one of my own bones. My helmet's display was already showing the damage I'd done to myself unintentionally. I was already checking my exosuit's readouts to make sure I hadn't damaged it when Dr. Harvey was speaking to me through our private com channel.

"Magnus. I'm seeing some pre-combat body damage readings according to your armor. I know its even harder to regulate than normal without any of your sense for pain but I need you to stay calm."

I breathed a deep sigh as another boom sounded through the chamber and I could see a gaping fissure now, wide enough that Militia and Challenger opened fire. Militia's rocket lanced out only to meet a wall of bone sending splinters flying in every direction as Marquis' defense exploded like a hand grenade. Challenger was already firing her rifle with the far more conventional rifle rounds aiming at the opening but more bone was filling the gap for the moment so clearly Militia's shot hadn't taken Marquis out. We had a few more seconds so I took the time to reply with my PRT mandated personal physician.

"Harvey. I'm fine. Just a bit of pre-battle jitters. It's just one of the bones in my fingers, its not like I already broke something bigger by accident yet."

There was a sigh from the other side as the doctor was no doubt wishing he had hair just so he could pull it out. I knew Harvey cared for me and my wellbeing, but my power did little to help him balancing doing his job of keeping me alive and functional, combined with the ethics of my power's use for a doctor to condone.

"Look, just don't hit them any harder than you need to. Please Magnus, for me, even if its not for anyone else. There's no one in that group coming at us with a high enough Brute rating to require you put your life on the line. So please hold back, for your own life's sake."

I didn't reply. I didn't have time as ahead of me one final hit sent large pieces of the door flying in a multitude of directions. I was glad Militia had ordered the PRT troopers back, they would have gotten killed by that and Ferros wouldn't have been able to provide cover for them all if they'd still been in the chamber. I easily vaulted the barricade Ferros had made even as Ent was moving beside me at the same time that Militia was shouting in my ear through our combat radio frequency.

"Magnus, Ent, you're up! Ferros give us cover and force the enemy to split up, Challenger you take the right I've got the left."

I raced forward letting my armored exo-suit move me easily across the floor as Ent's legs kept pace with me even as the branches that formed his arms extended as he prepared to hit the enemies coming at us. First in the door was Madcap but he was already sliding back as Villains surged in around him. Gregor the Snail, Chaingang, and Gridline were already moving in. But they weren't what I hit first as a barricade of white bone raced across the floor beneath them before shooting up in a one foot thick six foot high wall. Ent slowed, I didn't. I just raised my left arm, cocked it back, and punched straight forward just as I was hitting the bone wall.

Instantly I could feel the pops as multiple of my bones in my hand and one in my arm all broke. I couldn't feel the pain of course, the painkillers and cocktail of drugs were already doing their jobs of keeping me from collapsing in total agony as well as already starting to patch the broken bones and torn muscles from my punch. I swung back, letting the armored medical exosuit I wore do its job even as I swung my right foot now at the lower remains of a vastly reduced bone wall. The series of pops repeated itself up my leg and I could see more medical updates from my helmet HUD now, but I considered it a price well paid given that the bone shrapnel from both had brought Marquis's front ranks down and by the looks of it both Newter and Gridline were down and quite possibly already dead from my attacks against the bone judging by how many splinters of bone, some a foot in length, were sticking out of both.

Chaingang was still up though his left arm was completely gone below the elbow. That didn't stop him from using his right hand and arm to swing around the chains that the mercenary got his name from. The chains were a blur and even with only one arm he was keeping Ent's elongated arms at bay. I caught a movement of color from the ceiling and barely turned my head up in time to see Newter using the wreckage of the door and pipes and supports on the ceiling to clear the charnel house on the floor before leaping clean over me. I didn't try and fight him though I was grateful as I saw a wall of metal rising from the floor between me and him as Ferros gave me protection from behind. Giving myself a firm nod I turned forward again just in time to see Marquis, Joan Arc, Faultline now fanning out as Madcap advanced on me, his hands swinging the discus's he carried by leather straps, no doubt building up kinetic energy. Of everyone arrayed against me, Madcap was probably the only one I couldn't take in a straight fight. Shakers like were certainly dangerous, and while letting Faultline touch me could instantly knock me out if she got my armor, Madcap was the only one who could take me head on, so for the moment I watched him, though I didn't let my eyes totally loose track of the others.

I could hear more gunfire behind me even as Ent roared in frustration as Chaingang's whirling weapon continued to keep my comrade at bay, which really was a shame since truth be told I wasn't liking four on one. There was more movement from the breach and I was pretty sure Crickett had just slipped in, I took a brief second to send Challenger and Ferros a warning.

"Careful, Crickett's in here and it looks like she's coming for you two Ferros, Challenger. Neither of you two can take her in melee so keep her at range, don't let her close with you."

Honestly Militia should have been the one doing the ordering but for all of the work that Militia did as our leader, and despite the uniform she wore as her costume. I was the one who had the most battlefield experience so it was me that was directing the team for the moment in the here and now. But I ran out of time to listen to my teammates responses as my enemies made their move. Something hit me directly on the head, and I knew as soon as I was looking up that it had to be a weight of metal made by Joan Arc but I couldn't take the risk of it being someone else who'd slipped past like a Stranger we didn't know about. By the time I was looking back down Madcap was almost in my face. Lacking other options I did one of the only things I could and kicked the ground with my unhurt leg. More pops, more broken bones and torn muscles were the price I paid as the entire floor gave way around me. I could see the panic in Madcap's eyes as he fell. The man could absorb kinetic energy but I'd studied his reports enough since he was one of my natural counters, if he was in the air, that was a different story. My hand barely grazed him as I swung and he twisted in mid fall. But even just my armored fingers catching his arm was enough to bend it in ways that weren't meant to be bent, and more pops in my hand happened.

I ignored the HUD display as I touched down on the floor beneath me, my exo-suit taking the fall and now fully taking over for my movements as I directed it with my eyes and micro muscle movements to get out of the way. Joan Arc, and Fautline had both joined me on the floor below while Marquis had been far enough back to not fall in. He didn't follow them down and I could only assume he was moving to deal with my teammates even as I watched Faultine push herself to her feet and then just throw a piece of metal debris at me. It bounced off me nowhere near sufficient to do anything to my armored exo-suit. The axe flying at me next I did dodge since I had no doubt it had a sharp enough edge that if it hit the wrong place I had no doubts my ability to even survive would quickly go downhill let alone my ability to continue to fight. Another axe followed as I was reaching for Joan Arc when from up above down flew something. The next thing I knew my eyes were tightly clamped shut as what had to be a flashbang went off. My helmet's visor reacted but not fast enough, and I was blinded for precious seconds that I suspected I could not spare.

I was proven right when I could feel my right arm gauntlet fracturing and breaking around my damaged limb, and I knew that dispite the flashbang, or perhaps because of it, if Curveball had been the one throwing it, Faultline had gotten close enough to touch me. Desperate to stop her even though I knew it was probably too late I thrashed my limbs trying to hit her, not caring that this level of movement and aggression would mean I would likely shatter every bone in the limb that hit her as well as turning her into a fine red mist. I didn't hit her though and instead more warning alarms from my suit sounded, lights flashing in my HUD as she got a hand to my torso somewhere. Within a second my suit's power plant was affected just like everything else, and just like that I was out of the fight. The very armored medical exosuit that kept me alive in fights had now become my prison as while I certainly had the strength to move it, doing so would undoubtedly kill me. And so I just waited for a killing blow.

My helmet was the next to go under Faultline's power. I turned my head looking up at the woman in the welder's mask that had incapacitated me. I watched silently as Joan Arc created another axe out of thin air and silently passed it to Faultline who took it up in a two handed hold to kill me with like an executioner of old. Not about to just give her the satisfaction of waiting meekly for my death I lashed out with my arm. I back handed her and I knew that even before she hit the wall behind her she was dead. I didn't care. These villains had come into my home and tried to kill my comrades, and I would be damned if I simply let them do it without laying down my life in the defense of my team. My armored left arm hung limp, I couldn't even move it at all now even as Joan Arc screamed in rage and a spear appeared in her hands that she thrust towards me. I surged upwards, more pops and worse occurring in both legs but neither was so far gone that I couldn't stand for a few moments more. My right arm swung around wildly, no control, just a last final attempt to kill the Villain before me.

But I missed, and she did not. After the spear went through my neck I couldn't feel anything more at all and I knew it wasn't because I'd broken all the rest of my bones. Blood ran from my mouth as I could do nothing me but watch as she pulled the spear back out of my throat, my blood coating the spear head. I fell, my eyes tracking her the whole way, watching as she raised the spear high for a moment. And then she brought it down swiftly, and I knew no more.


End file.
